CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC: Public Expenditure

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with reference to his letter of 20 October 2010 to the Chairman of the BBC Trust on the 2010 Spending Review, what his policy is on requesting the BBC to take on additional responsibilities or activities for the duration of the period of the Spending Review settlement; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Hunt: My letter of 21 October to the Chair of the BBC Trust confirmed that the Government have undertaken to provide a full financial settlement to the end of the year 2016-17, with no new financial requirements or fresh obligations of any kind being placed on the BBC and/or licence fee revenues in this period except by mutual agreement.

Broadband: Suffolk

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the suitability of Suffolk for designation as a pilot area in the next round of Government broadband pilots.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State announced on 6 December that £50 million would be made available for the next round of broadband projects. Bids for support for projects will be invited from local authorities in April 2011 on the basis of guidance from Broadband Delivery UK, to be issued in the near future. At that point, any bid from Suffolk will be given the same consideration as all the others submitted.

Olympic Games 2012

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to increase adult participation in sport in  (a) the West Midlands,  (b) London and  (c) nationally prior to the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England is the arm's length body with responsibility for community sport. Their aim is to increase and sustain levels of participation in sport.
	National governing bodies of sport (NGBs) are responsible for the strategy, delivering through their networks of community clubs, coaches and volunteers, across all parts of the country. Sport England is investing £480 million through 46 governing bodies over the next four years and has agreed 'grow' and 'sustain' targets with each one. Each sport has developed a whole sport plan to achieve these targets.
	Additionally, the £135 million mass participation Olympic legacy-Places People Play-was launched in November and will benefit residents of the west midlands, London and the country more widely. This programme will be funded by lottery money and has been developed in partnership with Sport England, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the British Paralympic Association (BPA).
	In addition to the benefits this investment will bring to these areas, in terms of the west midlands, Sport England has also directly invested in a number of projects including a grant of £130,000 to the Cannock Trails Mountain Biking Centre and a grant of £200,000 to the Oswestry Leisure Centre.
	Investment into London includes Sport England's £1.3 million towards Redbridge Sport and Leisure Centre's new 12 court sports hall. The centre has also received financial support from the Olympic Delivery Authority, Badminton England and England Netball (via their Whole Sport Plan funding) and the Mayor's Legacy Fund. It will be a regional centre of excellence for badminton and netball and will provide a lasting legacy from the Games.
	Sport England has also recently invested £1 million into the new 50 metre swimming pool at Hillingdon.

Youth Sports Trust

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent progress his Department has made in its discussions with the Department for Education on the future work programme of the Youth Sports Trust; and what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the outcomes of those discussions on the work of the School Sports Partnership in North Stoke.

Hugh Robertson: The Government are committed to driving up participation in competitive sport. To that end, Sport England has appointed the Youth Sport Trust to lead the development of the new School Games. We are confident that, with their expertise and those of other partners, the School Games will be a success and will build upon the strengths of the school sport system.
	In addition, the Department for Education is providing funding up to 2013 to allow PE teachers further to embed competitive sport in schools across the country, including north Stoke, and raise participation.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions: Forests

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what agreements were made at the Cancun Climate Change Summit on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Gregory Barker: An agreement was reached at Cancun on all the essential elements of reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+). In the context of the provision of adequate and predictable support to developed country parties, parties collectively aim to slow, halt and reverse forest cover and carbon loss, consistent with the ultimate objective of the UN framework convention on climate change.
	Elements of the agreement include that forests nations will develop national strategies, safeguards should be put in place to avoid any potentially detrimental impacts to biodiversity and indigenous people, the scale at which reference levels for forests should be set and at which monitoring should occur, and a commitment from developed countries to help fund activities. The full decision text is available at:
	http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/cop_16/application/pdf/cop16_lca.pdf

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the direct carbon dioxide emissions arising from the participation of the UK delegation in the climate change conference in Cancun.

Gregory Barker: The carbon footprint created by the travel of United Kingdom delegates to the climate change conference in Cancun has been kept to a minimum through limiting the number of delegates who attended. All emissions resulting from their flights will be offset by the relevant Government Department using the Government Carbon Offsetting Facility.

Departmental Press Releases

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions his Department has provided embargoed media briefings prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010; in respect of how many such briefings his Department was informed that the embargo had been breached; what steps were taken as a result of each such breach; and on how many occasions his Department has provided media briefings without an embargo prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010.

Gregory Barker: There have been no such occasions.

Energy Saving Trust : Finance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding the Energy Saving Trust received from his Department in each of the last three years; what funding for the Trust was planned for 2010-11; what his most recent estimate is of his Department's funding for the Trust in 2010-11; and what funding he expects to allocate to the Trust in each of the next three years.

Gregory Barker: The Energy Saving Trust (EST) has received the following grant funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC):
	2008-09-£35.5 million
	2009-10-£38.5 million
	In 2010-11, EST was given a provisional grant offer of £35.5 million. This was then reduced to £34.4 million as part of the DECC's contribution to cross Government in-year savings.
	The funding that DECC expects to allocate to EST in 2011-12 will be confirmed at the end of the financial year.
	The organisation of future advice provision will be dependent on the outcome of the delivery review, as announced in last year's Annual Energy Statement.

Energy: Prices

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to equalise the price of electricity for customers on  (a) pre payment meters and  (b) standard credit tariffs.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem has put in place rules to protect consumers on pricing, including licence condition changes to prevent unfair price differentials, including those between different payment methods, such as between pre-payment meters and standard credit.
	Ofgem has reported on the effectiveness of these changes and found that the differentials for customers paying by pre-payment meter (PPM) have been completely eliminated and are, on average, £19 below the equivalent standard credit tariffs. The full Ofgem report is available online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro/Documents1/Update%20on%20Probe%20Monitoring_ FINAL.pdf
	We support the action Ofgem took to address unjustified tariff premiums, their action to evaluate the effectiveness of these changes and their action to enforce the changes. We believe it is important to see ongoing monitoring and enforcement by Ofgem, so consumers do not lose out.
	In addition, we expect the roll-out of Smart meters to provide consumers with a wider range of tariffs.

Fuels: Prices

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with oil companies on trends in the price of  (a) heating and  (b) other fuels.

Charles Hendry: We continue to monitor trends in the price of heating oil and other fuels. The UK has open and competitive markets for heating oil and other petroleum products. The Office of Fair Trading continues to consider all complaints and representations carefully and is monitoring for any indications that consumer or competition legislation has been breached. We have had no specific discussions with oil companies on trends in oil prices.

Green Deal

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the combined effect of the requirement for savings to exceed repayments and varying household expenditure caps on the likely extent of energy savings achievable through the Green Deal; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Golden Rule, the principle that the charge attached to the energy bill should not exceed the expected savings on an average bill sits at the heart of the Green Deal and is a key consumer protection mechanism. Satisfying the Golden Rule at the outset will protect bill payers and enable the charge to transfer automatically from one bill payer to the next. We have not therefore considered a Green Deal scheme without this protection. There is no limit on the face of the Energy Bill to the amount of finance available to each household. As we develop secondary legislation we will be considering what limit is appropriate alongside other consumer protections. We will publish analysis of the effects of our proposals at this time.
	It is important to ensure that as many households as possible are eligible for a Green Deal. The new Energy Company Obligation will interact with the Green Deal and provide support to vulnerable and low income consumers as well as those in expensive to treat homes. In addition, ambitious consumers will have the opportunity to pay any excess costs up front to ensure the charge attached to the energy meter will meet the Golden Rule.

Heating

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what support his Department plans to provide to incentivise the establishment of district heating systems.

Gregory Barker: In November 2010, we launched Community Energy Online, an online resource that provides information and guidance for communities and local authorities looking to develop low carbon energy projects, including district heating. The website address is:
	http://ceo.decc.gov.uk/
	The renewable heat incentive (RHI), which comes into force later this year, will help bridge the gap between the cost of conventional and renewable heating. This will incentivise the establishment of all types of renewable heat, including district heating systems fuelled by, for example, biomass or renewable combined heat and power (CHP).

London Energy Meeting

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress he has made on the commitments given at the London Energy Meeting in December 2008.

Charles Hendry: Participants in the London Energy Meeting did not enter into formal commitments to act but did agree on the importance of key actions aimed at improving the functioning of global energy markets and improving dialogue between energy producing and consuming countries.
	Participating countries noted the importance of working closely with the International Energy Forum (IEF) to provide high quality data on oil and gas production, supply and demand to the Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI). The IEF reports that the data supplied are of increasingly good quality. At their summit in Seoul in November 2010, G20 leaders strongly supported JODI and asked the IEF to work with the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the International Energy Agency to produce a report suggesting specific steps to improve the quality, timeliness and reliability of the JODI database.
	Participants also agreed to support the establishment of an expert group to recommend how to strengthen the architecture of the consumer-producer dialogue and the functioning of the IEF. At the IEF Ministerial In March 2010 in Cancun, Ministers from 66 countries endorsed that group's recommendations for analytical work, approving a programme which is now under way under the aegis of the IEF. They also agreed that a new charter for the IEF should be developed to underpin that organisation's work. With Saudi Arabia, the UK has co-chaired the group developing the new Charter. Work is now at a very advanced stage and we hope the new Charter will be agreed over the next few weeks. At the Seoul summit, G20 leaders supported the establishment of the Charter and welcomed the IEF programme of analysis and dialogue.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to increase the uptake of ground source heat pumps.

Gregory Barker: The Government will be launching the renewable heat incentive in 2011 which will provide a financial incentive for renewable heat. Full details on the scheme will be published shortly.
	The coalition Government are also currently consulting on its microgeneration strategy. The purpose of the strategy is to identify and tackle non-financial barriers which have an impact on the development of all microgeneration, including ground source heat pumps. The consultation closes on 16 March 2011.
	Further information is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/microgen_strat/microgen_strat.aspx

Solar Power

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to increase the uptake of solar panels; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The coalition Government have recently published a consultation document on the promotion of microgeneration, which includes solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies. The consultation document discusses non-financial barriers to the development of the microgeneration sector. Further information on the consultation is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/microgen_strat/microgen strat.aspx
	The Government are committed to the full implementation of feed-in tariffs (FiTs) to incentivise uptake of small-scale low-carbon electricity generating technologies, including solar photovoltaic.
	The renewable heat incentive (RHI), which will be launched in 2011, will provide financial support to renewable heat technologies at all scales in order to incentivise uptake. The Government will confirm which technologies they will support under the scheme shortly.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Sponsorship

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General what expenditure the Law Officers' Departments incurred on sponsorship in each year since 1997 for which figures are available.

Dominic Grieve: The Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol) has no record of any expenditure incurred on sponsorship by TSol, the Attorney General's Office or the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate in the period 2001 to date. Prior to 2001, any figure could not be established without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The National Fraud Authority made a one-off payment of £17,625, in 2009-10, to Get Safe Online, a joint initiative to raise awareness of internet security and help individuals and small businesses in the UK to use the internet confidently and safely.
	The Serious Fraud Office has in recent years spent the following on sponsorship.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Sponsorship  2010  2009 
			 Cambridge International Symposium on economic crime 5,957 7,000 
			 Breaking the mould conference-Daily Mail - 10,000 
			 Total 5,957 17,000 
		
	
	Data prior to this is unavailable in the format requested and would not be accurate due to the way that the accounts were previously reported.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Financial Management System does not specifically capture information on sponsorship, and the information sought could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, it has been established that the CPS incurred the following costs (in the associated years) for the events that are listed as follows:
	
		
			  Event sponsored  Year  Cost (£) 
			 The Muslim News Awards for Excellence 2007-08 11,750.00 
			 The Muslim News Awards for Excellence 2008-09 11,750.00 
			 The Society of Asian Lawyers Ball 2008-09 1,500.00 
			 The Muslim News Awards for Excellence 2009-10 11,500.00 
			 The Society of Asian Lawyers Ball 2009-10 1,000.00 
			 The People of the Year Awards 2009-10 11,750.00 
			 Total cost of sponsorship - 49,250.00

Ubani: Daniel

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Attorney-General pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2010,  Official Report, column 64W, on European Arrest Warrant: Dr Daniel Ubani, what the minor corrections were which the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) requested to the European Arrest Warrant received on 9 March 2009 in respect of Dr Daniel Ubani; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the warrant received by SOCA on  (a) 9 March and  (b) 12 March 2009.

Dominic Grieve: The minor alteration to the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) related to the contact details for the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Belarus: Elections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK's policy on election monitoring of the decision of the Government of Belarus to withdraw facilities from the election monitoring team sent by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: On 31 December 2010,1 made a statement underlining that the UK strongly regrets Belarus's decision to veto the renewal of the mandate of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Belarus and calling for this decision to be revised immediately.
	In addition to its role of supporting the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in conducting their election observation mission, the OSCE Mission in Belarus makes other vital contributions. The mission not only encourages democratic reform, but also promotes institution building, consolidating the rule of law, the development of civil society and the freedom of the media. Further valuable work is also conducted in addressing issues of common regional security, such as energy security and border management.

Belarus: Elections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Belarus on the arrest and detention of candidates in the presidential election in that country.

David Lidington: I am deeply concerned about the situation in Belarus. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I issued statements on 20, 22 and 31 December 2010, strongly condemning the violence surrounding the presidential election, urging the Belarusian authorities to release those detained for politically motivated reasons and to ensure that all detainees are given access to proper medical care and legal representation. I called in the Belarusian ambassador on 22 December 2010 to voice my grave concerns in person. We will continue to follow events closely. We are also working closely with other EU member states to urge a tough EU response, including looking at re-imposing targeted sanctions.

Belarus: Elections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the recent presidential election in Belarus.

David Lidington: The UK is at the forefront of efforts within the EU and the wider international community to bring pressure on the Belarusian authorities to release the political prisoners. We have been vocal in advocating a tough EU response, including looking at re-imposing targeted sanctions. I have discussed Belarus with some of my EU counterparts and encouraged EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the right hon. Baroness Ashton, to issue a strongly worded statement. A joint EU-US statement was released on 23 December 2010.

PRIME MINISTER

Fireworks

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Northampton North of 8 December 2010,  Official Report, column 304, which body is responsible for the enforcement of legislation on Category One fireworks, including Christmas crackers.

Edward Davey: I have been asked to reply.
	This Department has policy responsibility for the EU legislation relating to Category One fireworks, although Trading Standards Departments of local authorities are responsible for enforcement of the regulations.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Chris Bryant: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make representations at his next meeting with the President of the Russian Federation on the  (a) trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev and  (b) death in custody of Sergei Magnitsky.

David Lidington: I have been asked to reply.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made a statement on 30 December 2010 expressing deep concern over recent developments in Mr Khodorkovsky and Mr Lebedev's case and the serious implications this has for confidence in how the rule of law is applied in Russia. The Government have consistently stressed to the Russian authorities the importance of fair and impartial trials. It will continue to raise issues surrounding these cases, and others including through the EU and during our bilateral human rights consultations this month with Russia.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register: Fraud

Matthew Offord: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he plans to take to reduce fraudulent entries on the electoral register.

Mark Harper: Responsibility for maintaining electoral registers lies with electoral registration officers (EROs) who are appointed by local authorities, but independent of them. Legislation requires EROs to determine applications for registration that they receive. It also requires EROs to remove entries from the register if the ERO determines that a person with an entry is not entitled to be registered, and provides for objection and review processes to enable EROs to make such determinations. It is an offence under Section 13D of the Representation of the People Act 1983 to provide false information for any purposes connected with registration and if a person does so it is within the discretion of the ERO, depending upon the relevant circumstances of the case, to pursue the matter further and refer the case to the police.
	Ensuring the integrity of the electoral register is a key part of rebuilding trust in the political system. The Government are therefore committed to tackling electoral fraud and has announced that it will legislate to bring forward the implementation of individual electoral registration to 2014. This will require those applying to be registered to provide evidence of their identity, and so provide greater protection against fraudulent entries on the register.

Government Departments: Internet

Matthew Offord: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the role to be played by  (a) the Directgov website and  (b) other Government websites in informing the public about (i) individual voter registration and (ii) other constitutional and political changes.

Mark Harper: We always consider how best to inform the public about changes that affect them. While the details of public information campaigns relating to political and constitutional reforms, including individual electoral registration, are still being developed, it is likely that there will be an online element and we will consider how Directgov and other Government websites might support this.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Southern Sudan

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has allocated in development assistance to southern Sudan in the last year for which figures are available.

Andrew Mitchell: I am considering what our support to Sudan should be in future through the Bilateral Aid Review which is currently under way. The UK is providing £140 million to Sudan in development and humanitarian aid during the current financial year, approximately half of which goes to the south.
	In southern Sudan UK aid has, for example, increased access to basic services providing 1.3 million people with access to primary health care and 300,000 people with access to water and sanitation. It has provided communications systems for 30,000 southern Sudanese police to manage security during and after the referendum period. It has also provided 4.5 million packages of food aid.

Arms Trade Treaty

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking in preparation for the second Preparatory Committee on the Arms Trade Treaty in February 2011; and which officials of which grades from his Department will attend the Preparatory Committee.

Alan Duncan: The UK Government fully supports efforts to establish an Arms Trade Treaty that will help prevent irresponsible trade in conventional weapons. The Department for International Development (DFID) will continue to contribute to the Government's strategy, working with civil society, the defence industry and other departments across Whitehall to prepare for the upcoming Preparatory Committee in February 2011. The UK's delegation will be led by John Duncan, Ambassador for Multilateral Arms Control and Disarmament. The size and makeup of the rest of the delegation will be finalised during January 2011.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the use of microinsurance as a mechanism to assist adaptation to climate change in the world's poorest countries.

Stephen O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 21 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1137W, on Developing Countries: Insurance.

Developing Countries: Remittances

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the monetary value of remittances sent by UK residents to developing countries in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) relies on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for data on UK transfers. The ONS does not publish separate estimates for remittances because they are not considered to be of sufficient quality. Instead, estimates for remittances are combined with estimates for net transfers to UK charities. Together, these estimates are defined in the UK Balance of Payments (the Pink Book) as 'other payments by households'.
	In 2009, 'other payments by households' totalled £5.3 billion, the majority of which were remittances. However, this covers remittances to all countries, not just developing countries, with data quality issues preventing a more accurate country disaggregation. In recent years, the ONS has investigated a number of new sources to improve the quality of remittances statistics and will continue to do so going forward.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 15 November 2010 concerning Mr W Howe.

Andrew Mitchell: The response to the letter from the right hon. Member has been issued.

Nigeria: Education

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will provide support for steps to reinstate the education sector Community Accountability and Transparency Initiative in Nigeria. [R]

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is willing to consider supporting any reinstatement of the Community Accountability and Transparency Initiative (CATI) in Nigeria. This would be dependent on a request and support from the Nigerian Government. The principles of accountability and transparency are fully supported by DFID, and we are working with Nigerian officials to promote these principles. DFID is supporting community based management committees to improve transparent use of resources at school level, as part of an effort to strengthen management of the education sector as a whole.

Overseas Aid: Local Government

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Local Government Association on the recommendation from the Select Committee on International Development in its Report on Aid Under Pressure, HC 179-I, Session 2008-09, that his Department should make greater use of the expertise that exists within local government in the UK.

Alan Duncan: The Secretary of State for International Development met Baroness Eaton, Chair of the Local Government Association, on 16 November 2010. During the meeting, the contribution of expertise that exists within local government in the United Kingdom to international development was discussed. The Secretary of State encouraged the Local Government Association to write directly to the Department to outline their offer in the field of international development.
	Experts from local governments already make a significant contribution to development, including having members in the new Stabilisation Cadre. The Department for International Development is supporting the Commonwealth Local Government Forum's Good Practice scheme which also capitalises on existing expertise in local government.

Sri Lanka: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department allocated to Sri Lanka in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) allocated the following amounts to Sri Lanka over the last five financial years.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 10.774 
			 2006-07 5.904 
			 2007-08 1.813 
			 2008-09 2.978 
			 2009-10 13.061 
		
	
	Details of UK aid expenditure are published annually in Statistics on International Development, which is available in the Library of the House and on DFID's website.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department allocated to Yemen in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: The amount of bilateral assistance provided to Yemen by the Department of International Development (DFID) is reported in "Statistics on International Development", which is available in the Library of the House and on DFID's website.
	DFID has allocated £50 million of programme funding for this financial year 2010-11. Bilateral assistance in each of the four previous years was as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 21.5 
			 2007-08 12.0 
			 2008-09 19.2 
			 2009-10 29.8

WORK AND PENSIONS

Housing Associations: Edinburgh

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of one-bedroom  (a) local authority and  (b) housing association properties with a rental in the bottom 30 per cent. of local market values in Edinburgh in the first six months of 2010; and how many such properties were in (i) sheltered housing and (ii) multi-story blocks;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of vacant housing association tenanted homes with  (a) one bedroom and  (b) two bedrooms in Edinburgh East constituency;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of tenants of each type of tenure under-occupying a property in Edinburgh East constituency; and how many are on  (a) housing benefit and  (b) local housing allowance.

Steve Webb: This information is not available.

Housing Benefit

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of recipients of local housing allowance between the ages of 25 and 35 who are in employment.

Steve Webb: At September 2010 our records show that 124,120 recipients of housing benefit assessed under the local housing arrangements were aged between 25 and 35-years-old and in employment.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are based on the single housing benefit extract (SHBE), are rounded to the nearest 10 recipients, and are as at the second Thursday of September 2010.
	2. Figures refer to benefit units which may be a single person or a couple.
	3. The age breakdown is based on the age of the main benefit claimant.
	4. Local housing allowance tenants (LHA) may include a small number of non-LHA cases making a new claim since 7 April 2008. This will include recipients in caravan accommodation.
	5. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and August 2010 is the most recent available.

Housing Benefit: Blaenau Gwent

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many households in Blaenau Gwent constituency claiming housing benefit have at least one member in receipt of jobseeker's allowance;
	(2)  how many households in Blaenau Gwent claim housing benefit; and in how many such households the claimant of housing benefit is in employment;
	(3)  how many single people under 35 years of age in Blaenau Gwent constituency who claim housing benefit  (a) are in work and  (b) claim jobseeker's allowance.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.

Housing Benefit: Greater London

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households received housing benefit payments in  (a) Richmond upon Thames and  (b) Kingston upon Thames local authority area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The number of people in receipt of housing benefit in Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames in September 2010 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority  Total HB recipients 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 9,420 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 8,770 
			  Notes: 1. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and September 2010 is the latest. 4. At present geographic breakdowns are only available for local authorities and regions. However, an exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the data: this will include parliamentary constituencies. 5. Data is published on the Department's website at: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hbctb_release_dec10.xls  Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract 100% individual level data (SHBE)

Housing Benefit: Lanarkshire

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of  (a) housing benefit and  (b) local housing allowance recipients in (i) South Lanarkshire and (ii) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency in (A) the private sector and (B) other housing were also in receipt of (1) jobseeker's allowance and (2) employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.
	Information is only collected on the number of claimants on housing benefit in receipt of a passporting benefit, which includes income-based jobseeker's allowance and income-related employment and support allowance, but not the total number of housing benefit claimants on jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance.

Housing Benefit: South Lanarkshire

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of local housing allowance who have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months are resident in  (a) South Lanarkshire and  (b) Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency.

Steve Webb: The information is not available.
	Neither the total number of jobseeker's allowance claimants receiving housing benefit nor the duration of such claims is available. The relevant analysis has not been quality assured to National Statistics standard, and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Incapacity Benefit: Richmond upon Thames

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many adults of working age in Richmond Park constituency claimed incapacity benefit in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of claimants of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance of working age in Richmond Park constituency-May 2010 
			   Number 
			 Richmond Park constituency 1,770 
			  Notes: 1. Data is rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures do not include employment support allowance (ESA) which was introduced in October 2008 for new claimants. 3. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010. 4. Working age restricts the analysis to males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59. 5. Data is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp  Source: DWP Information Directorate 100% WPLS

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of appeals made by benefit claimants to the First-tier Tribunal were attended by an official of the Ministry of Justice in each year since 2005; and what proportion of appeals at which that Department  (a) was and  (b) was not represented were allowed in each year;
	(2)  what proportion of appeals made by jobseeker's allowance claimants to the First-tier Tribunal were attended by an official of the Ministry of Justice in each year since 2005; and what proportion of appeals at which that Department  (a) was and  (b) was not represented were allowed in each year;
	(3)  what proportion of appeals made by incapacity benefit claimants to the First-tier Tribunal were attended by an official of the Ministry of Justice in each year since 2005; and what proportion of appeals at which that Department  (a) was and  (b) was not represented were allowed in each year;
	(4)  what proportion of appeals made by employment support allowance claimants to the First-tier Tribunal were attended by an official of the Ministry of Justice in each year since 2005; and what proportion of appeals at which that Department  (a) was and  (b) was not represented were allowed in each year.

Maria Miller: The information requested is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of appeals made by child support claimants to the First-tier Tribunal were attended by an official of the Ministry of Justice in each year since 2005; and what proportion of appeals at which that Department  (a) was and  (b) was not represented were allowed in each year.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.

State Earnings Related Pension Scheme

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans he has to enable individuals to make representations on his proposals for the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme when the Green Paper is published;
	(2)  whether any proposed changes to the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme will affect those who are presently at pensionable age;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect of proposed changes to the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme on pensions paid to widows and widowers.

Steve Webb: The Government are currently considering a number of options for simplifying the state pension system but final decisions have not yet been made.
	Any proposals will be subject to consultation.

Work Capability Assessment

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider the merits of extending the time between employment and support allowance capability to work assessments for people with progressive, degenerative or continually severe illnesses.

Maria Miller: As part of the work capability assessment, a healthcare professional will give advice on when they think a customer's condition may have changed sufficiently that a return to work may be possible. They must also give a justification for this advice. The Department uses this advice to decide when to reassess claimants.
	A claimant for whom a return to work is considered unlikely within two years will be reassessed after two years. This is because, even for claimants who are unlikely to see an improvement in their health and who are unlikely to sufficiently adapt to their condition, it is important that each individuals circumstances are considered separately. However, this reassessment will not necessarily involve a face-to-face assessment-where possible, the Department may make a decision using paper-based evidence.
	We currently have no plans to change this process.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to answer question 20879, tabled by the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow on 26 October 2010.

Steve Webb: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 15 December 2010,  Official Report, column 838W.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Asset Transfer Unit

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to provide information to the public on the Asset Transfer Unit; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Information is available on the activities carried out by the Asset Transfer Unit on their website at:
	www.atu.org.uk
	This includes access to information and case studies on community asset transfer and the programmes they run on behalf of Government. Guidance and toolkits they have developed to support community asset transfer are also available such as a legal toolkit to assist community groups and local authorities; guidance on community-led open spaces exploring transfer of parks and green spaces; transferring heritage assets; and making buildings work for your community through design and refurbishment. The Unit's Information, Advice and Referral service has received over 650 inquiries since the unit opened in January 2009. SQW consultants are carrying out an independent evaluation of the Asset Transfer Unit and their interim report is available on the unit's website. They have also carried out a baseline survey of local authorities' attitudes to asset transfer. The Year 1 report was published in November 2009 and the Year 2 report is being published in March.

Homelessness

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the number of households likely to present as homeless in  (a) Gateshead local authority area,  (b) Tyne and Wear and  (c) England in 2011.

Grant Shapps: The Department for Communities and Local Government has not produced estimates of the number of households likely to present as homeless in Gateshead local authority area, Tyne and Wear and England in 2011. Statutory homelessness statistics are published quarterly and can be found on the Department's website at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/
	This Government are committed to tackling and preventing homelessness. We have protected homelessness grant funding, with £400 million over the spending review period. This will be made available to local authorities and the voluntary sector to support their work to tackle homelessness. We have made an additional £190 million available for discretionary housing payments and other forms of practical support alongside the Government's package of welfare reform measures.
	Allocations of Preventing Homelessness Grant for local authorities were published on 13 December as part of the provisional local government settlement for 2010-11. This can be found on the Department's website at
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/specgrant1112/index.htm
	I also refer the hon. Member to my letter on the spending review's settlement for housing of 20 October 2010, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, on our plans to build more affordable homes and renovate poor quality social housing.

Homelessness: Greater London

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent estimate is of the number of people who are homeless in the  (a) Richmond-upon-Thames and  (b) Kingston Upon Thames local authority area.

Grant Shapps: Information about local authorities' discharge of their duties under homelessness legislation is collected on quarterly PIE returns. Summary information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to ensure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available and this information is also collected.
	The number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty during the July to September quarter 2010 and the number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of September in each local authority is given in the table at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1791630.xls
	Information is also collected on rough sleeping. Since 1998, only councils in areas with a known, or suspected, rough sleeping problem were required to conduct an official rough sleeper count-which meant that only 70 councils submitted information to central Government. Figures published in July 2010 showed that under this previous method, on any given night there were 440 rough sleepers in England. However, the coalition Government wanted a more complete measure of rough sleeping and when the remaining 256 councils provided estimates of the scale of the problem in their areas, this added a further estimated 807 rough sleepers-taking the national total to 1,247 rough sleepers on any given night.
	Rough sleeping figures are published by the Department on the DCLG website and are given by local authority in the table at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1648099.xls
	Under new guidance all councils across England will now provide information on rough sleeping. This move follows consultation with homelessness charities and councils and is aimed at getting a clearer picture of the scale of the problem in each area so more targeted support can be provided to some of the most vulnerable in society.

Housing Benefit

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will take steps to ensure that people in receipt of housing benefit have better access to private rented accommodation in areas where there is insufficient social housing available; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: From 1 April 2011, private tenants who are in receipt of housing benefit will receive funding equivalent to the thirtieth percentile of local market rents for a suitable privately rented property in their area. This means that they will have access to approximately one-third of the privately rented housing in their area-a reasonable proportion of the available housing. We have also announced that we will allow direct payment of benefit to landlords where a landlord has reduced the rent on their property to reflect the lower local housing allowance in an area. We anticipate that this will provide a real incentive to landlords to make their property available to housing benefit recipients.
	The Government are making £190 million of additional funding available to help local authorities to provide support where it is needed, for example to help people to stay in their home or to move to cheaper accommodation We are also working with Crisis to put in place additional support for single homeless people. This initiative will support the voluntary sector to work with local authorities to expand access to private rented housing for single homeless people.

Housing: Construction

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes he expects to be built under the New Homes Bonus scheme in Gateshead local authority area in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Grant Shapps: The New Homes Bonus will match fund the additional council tax raised for new homes and properties brought back into use, for the following six years with an enhancement for affordable homes.
	The Government have consulted on the scheme design and the final details and individual local authority allocations will be published in due course.
	A calculator has been published which enables local authorities to estimate their grant. The calculator can be found at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingsupply/newhomesbonus
	The consultation stage impact assessment published alongside the New Homes Bonus consultation provides an estimate of the potential supply impact but this depends on the final scheme design and the behavioural response of local authorities. Our analysis suggests that we could see a national increase of 8-13% in homes built, over the expected baseline, from 2016-17 onwards.

Private Rented Housing: Standards

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the standard of accommodation in the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The English Housing Survey makes an annual assessment of the standard of accommodation for the private rented sector and for the stock as a whole. The following table provides the latest available estimate based on the Decent Homes standard. Conditions in the housing sectors are dependent on a range of factors but particularly the age profile of their housing stock. Some 40% of the private rented stock was built before 1919 compared to 21% of owner occupied stock and only 7% of social housing.
	
		
			  Number and  percentage of dwellings non-decent by tenure, 2008 
			   Number (thousand)  Percentage of tenure 
			   Decent  Non-decent  Decent  Non-decent 
			 Owner occupied 10,166 4,842 67.7 32.3 
			 Private rented 1,847 1,449 56.0 44.0 
			 All private 12,013 6,291 65.6 34.4 
			  
			 Local authority 1,359 625 68.5 31.5 
			 Housing association 1,507 444 77.2 22.8 
			 All social 2,866 1,069 72.8 27.2 
			  
			 All tenures 14,879 7,360 66.9 33.1 
			  Notes: 1. To be considered decent a dwelling must meet the minimum standard (be free of any serious health and safety risks for vulnerable people), be in a satisfactory state of repair, have modern facilities and services and provide a satisfactory level of thermal comfort. The detailed criteria are provided in the Decent Homes Guidance on the Department's website at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/decenthome 2. The figures for this table were published in the English Housing Survey Headline Report 2008-09, Table 13, p33, on the Department website at: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/ehs200809headlinereport  Source: English Housing Survey, 2008 dwelling sample

Right to Acquire Scheme

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2010,  Official Report, column 481W, on the Right to Acquire Scheme, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make sharia financing possible under the Right to Acquire Scheme.

Andrew Stunell: The Government have no current plans for legislation to allow sharia finance to be used for Right to Acquire purchases for the reasons set out in my answer of 29 November 2010,  Official Report, column 481W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Violent and Sex Offenders Register

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were on the violent and sex offenders register on the latest date for which figures are available.

Lynne Featherstone: There are currently around 57,000 live records on the ViSOR database, which captures information on a range of offender types who are considered to pose a risk of harm to the public, including registered sex offenders (RSOs). The Ministry of Justice publishes annual statistics on multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) eligible offenders. The 2009-10 annual report, published on 27 October 2010, recorded that there were 34,939 registered sexual offenders in the community as at 31 March 2010.

Violent and Sex Offenders Register

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people convicted of a sexual offence and released from custody failed to register on the violent and sex offenders register in the latest period for which figures are available.

Lynne Featherstone: The data are not collected in the format requested and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
	Sex offenders are required to notify their personal details with the police. This system is often referred to as the sex offenders register and requires offenders to provide their local police station with a record of their name, address, date of birth and national insurance number. Sex offenders have to notify these details to the police annually and whenever these details change.
	If an offender breaches his notification requirements he commits a criminal offence and could be subject to a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Game Birds: Animal Welfare

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will include a ban on the use of enriched cages in her Department's Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes.

James Paice: In the absence of any scientific evidence that enriched cages compromise the welfare of gamebirds there are no current plans to include a ban on the use of enriched cages in DEFRA's Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes.

Water Voles

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to protect water voles from predation by the mink population.

Richard Benyon: Both Natural England and the Environment Agency have been actively supporting projects which serve to maintain and enhance the populations of water voles, which are a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species; management of mink is a key action in this regard.
	As the American mink is now a widely established invasive non-native species, complete eradication is unlikely and targeted management at appropriately considered scales is the only viable approach. Currently mink trapping takes place in some river catchments, supported by combinations of the Environment Agency (the lead partner for water vole conservation in England and Wales), Natural England, the local Wildlife Trusts and other conservation organisations. These aim for local suppression of mink numbers, to assist water vole populations, rather than eradication.

DEFENCE

Addison Lee

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether  (a) his Department and  (b) the public bodies for which his Department is responsible contract services from Addison Lee private hire taxi company.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its agencies hold no contracts with the Addison Lee private hire taxi company. We do, however, have an account with the company which is used to meet urgent travel requirements in London when no other suitable form of transport is available. Use of this account is under strict line management control, and the total spend during the last financial year of 2009-10 was under £300.
	Staff may only use a taxi for official duty when there is a business benefit to the MOD or when it saves money. We are constraining the amount of travel undertaken in the present economic conditions.

SCOTLAND

Fuels: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on ensuring continuity of fuel deliveries during severe weather.

David Mundell: There have been regular and extensive discussions between Ministers in both the UK Government and the devolved Administration in Scotland about managing the impact of the severe weather including on the continuity of fuel deliveries. Officials in UK Government Departments, including the Scotland Office, are in regular communication with their counterparts in the Scottish Government.

UK Reform of Consumer and Enforcement Bodies

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has formal representation on the working group established by the Scottish Executive in December 2010 on UK reform of consumer and enforcement bodies.

Michael Moore: The UK reform of consumer and enforcement bodies is a matter for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Scotland Office maintains regular dialogue with officials there. My Department has not been invited to be represented on the Scottish Government working group.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Discrimination

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment the Regulatory Policy Committee made of the impact assessment on the implementation of the dual discrimination provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given on 20 December 2010,  Official Report, column 939W.

HEALTH

Health Visitors: Training

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make provision for training of Sure Start health visitors.

Anne Milton: The Department will be publishing shortly "Health Visiting Implementation plan-A Call to Action", which sets out the Government's commitment to a larger, re-energised, health visiting service. This will deliver a new model of support to families, building on the Healthy Child Programme, and provides further clarification as to how this increase will be achieved including action on training, and what the expectations of strategic health authorities and service providers will be.
	The plan supports the "Operating Framework for the NHS in England 2011/12", which identified health visiting provision as a key service priority for the national health service over the next year.

Hospital Beds

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) intensive care and  (b) high dependency beds there were in the NHS in England in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the average daily cost of each such type of bed was in that year.

Simon Burns: On the day of the census on 15 July 2010 there were 3,662 critical care beds. Of these beds 1,989 beds were being used for intensive care (level 3) and 1,673 were being used for high dependency care (level 2).
	This information is published and available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/Beds/DH_077451
	The Department does not collect the average daily cost of intensive care and high dependency beds. However, national health service organisations in England reported an average cost of £1,149 per bed day for providing critical care for adults in 2008-09 reference costs.
	The source of this data is the 2008-09 national schedule of reference costs, NHS trusts and primary care trusts combined, which is published and available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_111591

Hospital Beds

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many outpatient appointments requiring a temporary non-overnight use of a hospital bed were cancelled in December 2010 for reasons attributable to recent changes to policy on reporting procedures for mixed-sex wards.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. The reporting requirements relating to breaches of national guidance on same-sex accommodation are unlikely to have any impact on out-patient appointments.
	Our policy on providing single-sex accommodation (except when it is in the patient's overall best interest) has not changed. Organisations providing national health service funded care are expected to provide single-sex sleeping accommodation, along with single-sex bathroom and toilet accommodation. Patients should not have to pass through opposite-sex areas to reach their own facilities.
	Only patients who are admitted to hospital are included in the reporting policy. This includes patients undergoing day surgery and procedures such as endoscopy; however, it does not apply to the majority of out-patient appointments. None the less, high standards of privacy and dignity must be maintained, even when patients are not admitted.

Hospitals: Admissions

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted to hospital as a result of injuries sustained in fires that were electrical in origin in each of the last five years; and for what injuries such people were treated.

Simon Burns: The Department does not hold information centrally on the number of people admitted to hospital resulting from injuries sustained by fire that were electrical in origin, or on what injuries they were treated for.

Influenza

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the preparedness of the NHS for influenza from  (a) Asthma UK,  (b) the British Medical Association,  (c) the Royal College of General Practitioners,  (d) the Royal College of Nurses,  (e) the Royal College of Midwives,  (f) the Royal College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians,  (g) UNISON,  (h) Diabetes UK and (i) the British Heart Foundation.

Anne Milton: The Department has been working closely with many organisations both in the run up to, and during the influenza season.
	The Department received a letter from the British Medical Association in December. The Department took this opportunity to ask the organisation to remind its members to continue calling all at risk patients for their vaccines.
	Seasonal influenza vaccination was discussed at the 9 December 2010 Social Partnership Forum, of which the Royal College of Nurses, UNISON, Royal College of Midwives and British Medical Association are partners, along with other organisations. The British Medical Association, Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians, Royal College of Nurses and UNISON have all agreed to promote seasonal influenza vaccination to help increase vaccine uptake rates.

Kidney Patients: Hospital Wards

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the likely effects on kidney dialysis patients of imposing financial penalties on dialysis units which provide mixed sex accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: National health service organisations are expected to eliminate mixed sex accommodation, except where it is in the overall best interests of the patient, or reflects their personal choice. The Operating Framework for the NHS 2011-12(1) confirms requirements for reporting and sanctioning breaches of national guidance.
	Organisations providing NHS-funded care must agree with their commissioners how they will determine whether a particular episode of mixing is justified. One of limited number of circumstances in which mixing can be justified, relates to patients who actively choose to share with others of the same age or clinical condition, rather than gender.
	The Department has issued guidance, including PL/CNO/2010/3(2), to help service providers and commissioners in making decisions, and these resources also support appropriate use of sanctions. One element of this guidance specifically refers to 'patients with long-term conditions, including renal dialysis'. Here, guidance states that it can be acceptable for mixing to occur-the crucial factors being that it reflects the decision of the whole group and does not adversely affect the care of others.
	In the context of the guidance referred to above, it will be for local commissioners to decide about the imposition of sanctions on dialysis units. It is not expected that renal dialysis will prompt a significant number of sanctions, though the Department will be able to monitor the situation in the new year, when the first set of data about breaches of the guidance is published.
	Policy relating to mixed sex accommodation in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly. The arrangements and sanctions set out above relate to England only.
	(1) Published: 15 December 2010.
	(2) A copy has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_121860.pdf

Smoking

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has received on the effects of plain packaging of cigarettes on levels of smoking.

Anne Milton: A large number of documents, reports and studies are relevant to the role and effect of packaging in the marketing and promotion of tobacco products.
	For example, the RAND Europe study "Assessing the Impacts of Revising the Tobacco Products Directive" commissioned by the European Commission Health and Consumer Directorate-General to support their assessment of the impacts of revising the Tobacco Products Directive 2001/37/EC and published in September 2010, includes a section examining the evidence on the plain or generic packaging of tobacco products.
	The RAND report has been placed in the Library and can be found at:
	http://ec.europa.eu/health/tobacco/docs/tobacco_ia_rand_en.pdf
	Also, the Australian Government have announced their intention to introduce a legislative requirement for the plain packaging of tobacco to commence on 1 January 2012. The evidence supporting their action is summarised in the technical report "Australia: the healthiest country by 2020-Technical report 2 Tobacco Control in Australia".
	The Australian technical report has been placed in the Library and can be found at:
	www.preventativehealth.org.au/internet/preventativehealth/publishing.nsf/Content/tech-tobacco

Swine Flu: Medical Treatments

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment machines are available in each region.

Simon Burns: There are currently 25 beds for adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) beds available nationally for patients with potentially reversible severe respiratory failure. There are six beds available for paediatric respiratory ECMO. The number of beds for adult respiratory ECMO has increased from five in early December to 25 beds currently.
	Hospitals providing adult respiratory ECMO are Glenfield hospital in Leicester (five), Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (four), the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust (four), University Hospitals of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust (four), Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (four), Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (three) Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (two).
	There are a further six beds available for paediatric respiratory ECMO at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) in Glasgow.

Swine Flu: Medical Treatments

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average daily cost to the NHS of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment of a patient was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: Trusts are reimbursed for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation care on a bed day basis at circa £4,000 per bed per day. This takes into account the intensive staffing and equipment costs. The costs of air and road transport are reimbursed separately.

Tuberculosis: Finance

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of his proposals for health premiums on the allocation of funding to tuberculosis prevention measures.

Anne Milton: The Department is currently consulting on its proposals for the health premium, including which outcomes should be used in "Healthy Lives, Healthy People: consultation on the funding and commissioning routes for public health" published 21 December 2010, and "Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Transparency in Outcomes, Proposals for a Public Health Outcomes Framework" published 20 December 2010. Both consultations close on 31 March 2011. Then, the Government will publish their response.
	The health premium received by local authorities will depend on progress they make on elements of the Public Health Outcomes Framework. We will only set out a detailed model when we have established the baseline and potential scale of the premium clearly, and have agreement about the outcomes we will use. However, treatment of tuberculosis (TB) is proposed to be national health service funded and commissioned.
	Timely detection and successful completion of treatment are key to preventing the spread of TB. TB treatment completion rate is a proposed outcome in the Public Health Outcomes Framework.

EDUCATION

CAFCASS: Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the salary is of the  (a) chief executive and  (b) other senior executives of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

Tim Loughton: The salary of the chief executive of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service is currently £160,000 per annum. The salaries of other senior executives of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service are set out as follows.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Operational director 110,000 
			 Director of finance 110,000 
			 Director of human resources and organisational development 110,000 
			 Director of business transformation and technology (and CIO) 110,000 
			 Director of legal services 110,000 
			 Operational director 110,000 
			 Director of policy 110,000 
			 Operational director 110,000

Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service: Standards

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service prepares contingency plans to enable it to respond when changed circumstances affect its business;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that the senior management team of the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service develop and implement an action plan  (a) to address (i) existing and (ii) emerging skill gaps and  (b) raise levels of performance and staff morale;
	(3)  what recent steps he has taken to ensure that the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service is fit for purpose;
	(4)  if he will take steps to ensure that the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service establishes plans to manage reductions in duty allocation of care cases with clear milestones for each area.

Tim Loughton: These issues formed part of the recommendations in the Public Accounts Committee's sixth report on "Cafcass's response to increased demand for its services", published on 11 November 2010. The Government will respond to these recommendations in a Treasury minute in the new year.

Children in Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish regulations and guidance under section 25 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 on care breaks.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 4 November 2010
	 The regulations under section 25 of the Children and Young Persons Act 2008, which relate to the provision of short breaks for carers of disabled children, have now been published. The regulations are affirmative, and are due to be debated by the house this month (January). The guidance which relates to the regulations will be published once the House has agreed that the regulations can come into force.

Children in Care

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children aged  (a) under one,  (b) between one and four,  (c) between five and nine,  (d) between 10 and 16 and  (e) over 16 years in care as a result of a court order which did not carry a criminal sanction have left such care (i) overall and (ii) through adoption in 2010.

Tim Loughton: Information on the number of children who ceased to be looked after, through adoption and overall, who were subject to a court order which did not carry a criminal sanction can be found in the following table, broken down by the age groups requested.
	
		
			  Number of children subject to a court order who ceased to be looked after during the year ending 31 March 2010( 1,2) -year ending 31 March 2010, coverage: England 
			  Numbers 
			  Age on ceasing  Children who ceased through adoption  All children who ceased to be looked after 
			 Under one 30 420 
			 One to four 2,100 3,700 
			 Five to nine 770 1,800 
			 10 to 16 100 1,000 
			 Over 16 (3)- 3,100 
			 (1) The figures have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000, and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (2) Figures include only those children subject to a care order, freeing order, placement order, emergency protection order and child assessment order on ceasing to be looked after. (3) Figures not shown in order to protect confidentiality.  Source: SSDA 903

Children in Care

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children left care, where care is defined as subject to a care order, police protection order, emergency protection order, or placement for adoption, and were adopted in each year from 1995 to 2010.

Tim Loughton: The percentage of children, subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order or placed for adoption, who left care through adoption in each year ending 31 March 1995 to 2010 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of children subject to a care order, police protection order, emergency protection order or who were placed for adoption who were adopted( 1,2,3,4) -years ending 31 March 1995 to 2010, coverage: England 
			   Percentage of children adopted 
			 1995(5) 22 
			 1996(5) 23 
			 1997(5) 23 
			 1998(6) 26 
			 1999(6) 24 
			 2000(6) 31 
			 2001(6) 34 
			 2002(6) 36 
			 2003(6) 37 
			 2004(5) 34 
			 2005(5) 35 
			 2006(5) 33 
			 2007(5) 31 
			 2008(5) 29 
			 2009(5) 30 
			 2010(5) 29 
			 (1) Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted. (3) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (4) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (5) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return which covered all children looked after. (6) Figures are derived from the SSDA903 one third sample survey.  Source: SSDA903

Children in Care

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many local authority adoptions from care there were in England equivalent to  (a) BV163 and  (b) PAF C23 in each year from 1995 to 2010.

Tim Loughton: The definitions of PAF C23 and BV163 changed slightly during their use but most recently in 2005-06 were defined as the number of looked after children who were adopted or who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order during the year ending 31 March, excluding unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Information on the number of looked after children who were adopted or who ceased to be looked after due to the granting of a special guardianship order in each year from 1995 to 2010 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority adoptions from care equivalent to PAF C23( 1,2,3,4,5)  years ending 31 March 1995 to 2010-Coverage: England 
			   Numbers 
			 1995(6,7,8) 2,000 
			 1996(6,7,8) 1,900 
			 1997(6,7,8) 1,800 
			 1998(6,7,9) 2,200 
			 1999(6,7,9) 2,100 
			 2000(6,7,9) 2,700 
			 2001(6,7,8) 3,100 
			 2002(6,7,8) 3,400 
			 2003(7,8) 3,500 
			 2004(7,8) 3,800 
			 2005(7,8) 3,800 
			 2006(8) 3,800 
			 2007(8) 4,100 
			 2008(8) 4,300 
			 2009(8) 4,600 
			 2010(8) 4,400 
			 (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100. (2) These figures represent the numerator for PAF C23 which is defined as the number of children who cease to be looked after as a result of the granting of an adoption order or a special guardianship order, excluding unaccompanied asylum seeking children. (3) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (4) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted. (5) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (6) Information on unaccompanied asylum seeking children was not collected until 2003. (7) Special guardianship orders came into force on 30 December 2005 and so are not included until 2006. (8) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return which covered all children looked after. (9) Figures are derived from the SSDA903 one third sample survey.  Source: SSDA 903

Children in Care

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what proportion of children under the age of five left care, where care is defined as subject to a care order, police protection order, emergency protection order, or placement for adoption, and returned to their parents in each year from 1995 to 2010;
	(2)  how many children aged  (a) one to four,  (b) five to nine,  (c) 10 to 15 and  (d) 15 or more years old left care, where care is defined as subject to a care order, police protection order, emergency protection order, or placement for adoption, and returned to their parents in (i) 1997, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 1995.

Tim Loughton: The proportion of children under the age of five who were subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order or placed for adoption, who returned to their parents, in England in years ending 31 March 2001 to 2010 is shown in table 1 as follows.
	The number of children who were subject to a care order, police protection order or emergency protection order or placed for adoption, who returned to their parents, in England during the year ending 31 March 2010 by age is shown in table 2 as follows.
	Information is not available for years 1995 to 2000, as "returned to parents" was not collected as a reason for ceasing to be looked after, until 2001.
	
		
			  Table 1: Children aged under 5 years who were subject to a care order, police protection order, emergency protection order, or placement for adoption who ceased to be looked after and returned to their parents( 1,2,3,4)  Years ending 31 March 2001 to 2010-Coverage: England 
			   Percentage of children aged under 5 years who returned to their parents 
			 2001(5) 23 
			 2002(5) 27 
			 2003(5) 24 
			 2004(6) 30 
			 2005(6) 27 
			 2006(6) 24 
			 2007(5) 23 
			 2008(5) 22 
			 2009(6) 21 
			 2010(5) 20 
			 (1) Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted. (3) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (4) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (5) Figures are derived from the SSDA903 one third sample survey. (6) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return which covered all children looked after.  Source: SSDA 903. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Children who were subject to a care order, police protection order, emergency protection order, or placement for adoption who ceased to be looked after and returned to their parents, by age on ceasing( 1,2,3 ) Year ending 31 March 2010-Coverage: England 
			  Age on ceasing (years)  Number 
			 All children 2,200 
			 Under 1 220 
			 1 to 4 720 
			 5 to 9 500 
			 10 to 15 560 
			 16 and over 180 
			 (1) Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1000, and to the nearest 10, otherwise. (2) Only the last occasion on which a chid ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted. (3) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.  Source: SSDA 903

Departmental Lobbying

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent from the public purse on influencing public policy through  (a) employing external (i) public affairs companies, (ii) strategic consultancies and (iii) corporate communications firms,  (b) external marketing and  (c) other activities in each year since its inception.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not hold a central record of spending on activities to influence public policy by its agencies and non-departmental public bodies and cannot obtain the information without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Lobbying

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which of his Department's non-departmental public bodies have undertaken activities to influence public policy for which they engaged  (a) public affairs and  (b) public relations consultants in each year since its inception; and at what monetary cost in each such year.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not hold a central record of spending on activities to influence public policy by its agencies and non-departmental public bodies and cannot obtain the information without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the effect of the increase in the standard rate of value added tax on his Department's annual expenditure.

Tim Loughton: In line with other Government Departments, the Department for Education is able to recover substantial amounts of VAT, reclaimed under section 41(3) of the VAT Act 1994 (commonly known as the contracting-out directive). An additional 2.5% on the average amount reclaimed in the last six months could add approximately £16,500 monthly, if reclaim patterns remain the same.
	In addition, there are certain other purchases of goods and services sitting outside the contracting-out directive. For these goods and services neither the Department, nor our arm's length bodies, can recover VAT, and will therefore need to carry the additional 2.5% cost of the VAT increase. The exact amount of VAT paid on each contract held by the Department and our ALBs is not monitored centrally and could be determined only at disproportionate cost. In line with Government priorities, we would expect these increased costs to be covered by efficiency savings.
	As announced on 22 November 2010, legislation will be introduced to allow academies to recover VAT on a similar basis to local authority maintained schools. More details of this proposed scheme are available via the consultation pages of the Treasury website.

Educational Institutions: Buildings

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate his Department has made of the rate of utilisation of  (a) school and  (b) sixth form and further education college buildings and facilities by local communities outside normal school hours in the last 12 months.

Sarah Teather: The Department does not collect data on the use of school and sixth form buildings by local communities beyond the school day. However, the "Extended Services Evaluation: End of Year One Report" (published by the Department in July 2010) suggested that two thirds of the schools were opening at least one of their facilities for community access, most commonly halls, rooms or spaces, sports facilities, and playgrounds and play areas. The report can be viewed at
	http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR016.pdf
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible for further education colleges.

Family Rights Group: Finance

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans his Department has for the funding of the Family Rights Group Advice Service after March 2011.

Sarah Teather: The Family Rights Group has a long standing financial relationship with the Department. A new procurement process was opened on 6 December to fund telephone helplines and online services from 1 April 2011. The Family Rights Group are able to bid for future funding for their advice service through this process. In advance of this process being completed, I cannot comment on any future funding for the advice service provided by the Family Rights Group after 31 March 2011.

Foster Care: Finance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support for foster carers between placements; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of financial support for foster carers; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Government set a national minimum allowance for foster carers, which in 2010-11 ranges from £106 a week for babies outside London and the south-east to £191 per week for 16 to17-year-olds in London.
	It is for fostering service providers to decide whether to pay their foster carers allowances above the national minimum and whether, in addition to the allowance, to pay their carers a fee in recognition of the skills and experience they bring to their role. It is also for providers to decide whether to make payments between placements. They should make these decisions in the light of local circumstances.
	It is important that foster carers know what payments will be made to them by their fostering service. We recently consulted on draft revised National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services (NMS) that make clear that fostering services should have a clear and transparent written policy on payments to foster carers, and that this should include their policy on payments during a break in placement. The revised NMS will come into force in April 2011.
	The Department is also working with the sector on developing a Charter for Foster Care that sets out what foster carers can expect from their fostering service and local authority and what is expected of them in return. The draft charter is clear that fostering service providers should make sure that their foster carers understand what financial support they will receive, including during gaps in placements.

Further Education Colleges

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which  (a) further education colleges and  (b) sixth form colleges (i) he, (ii) the Minister of State for Schools and (iii) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools have visited since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 3 December 2010
	The following table shows the further education colleges and sixth form colleges visited by the Minister of State for Schools and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools since May 2010. The Secretary of State has made no such visits since this date. He and other Ministers have, however, visited a number of schools with sixth forms.
	
		
			  Date  College visited 
			  Minister of State for Schools  
			 24 June 2010 Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge 
			   
			  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools  
			 25 November 2010 Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College, Birmingham 
		
	
	In addition the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, as a joint Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Department for Education (DfE) Minister, has visited six further education colleges and one sixth form college.

Ofsted Children's Services Assessment in 2010

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which 12 local authorities were identified as performing poorly in the Ofsted Children's Services Assessment in 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: Twelve councils-Birmingham, Calderdale, Doncaster, Essex, Kent, Leeds, Nottinghamshire, Peterborough, Salford, Sandwell, Torbay, and Worcestershire, have been assessed as performing poorly in their annual children's services rating . In each case, the principal reason was that they were judged inadequate following their three yearly inspection of safeguarding arrangements. Improvement activity is already under way in these local authorities and the councils are prioritising this important work.
	On 9 December I announced the Government's intention to end the requirement for an annual rating of each local authorities' children's services. This was on the basis that the annual rating adds little over and above the individual inspections that underlie it.

Schools: Sports

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he made of the proportion of school children who undertook two hours of sport or physical activity at school in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: Since 2003/04, the date that the Department started collecting the data, the percentage of pupils taking part in at least two hours high quality PE and sport each week, was as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 5 to 16-year-olds taking part in at least two hours high quality PE and sport each week 62 69 80 86 90 
		
	
	In 2008/09 and 2009/10, the survey collected data on the percentage of pupils taking part in at least three hours high quality PE and sport each week, as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2008/09  2009/10 
			 5 to 16-year-olds taking part in at least three hours high quality PE and sport each week 51 57 
		
	
	In addition, the 2009/10 survey collected data relating to the percentage of pupils involved in regular competitive sport, within and between schools, as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Regular intra-school sport  Regular inter-school sport 
			 Percentage of pupils in years 3-13 taking part in regular competitive sport 39 21 
		
	
	High quality PE and sport was defined by the previous Government, as
	"High quality PE and school sport produces young people with the skills, understanding, desire and commitment to continue to improve and achieve in a range of PE, sport and health-enhancing physical activities in line with their abilities".

Schools: Sports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what factors he took into account in making his decision to reduce funding to the Schools Sports Partnerships scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education took into account a range of factors before deciding how best to support school sport in the future. This included the findings of the PE and sport survey, which showed that, despite £2.4 billion of funding and seven years of work, the proportion of pupils taking part in regular competitive sport has remained disappointingly low. The survey showed that only around two in every five pupils play competitive sport regularly within their own school, and only one in five plays regularly against other schools.
	The coalition Government have recently reiterated their aim to give schools greater freedom and flexibility including choosing what PE and sport is offered to their pupils and what staff they will need to meet those needs. In order to allow a smooth transition to the new approach, the Department announced on 20 December a package of support to encourage wider take up of competitive sport. This includes further funding of £47 million to support the work of school sport partnerships in August 2011; and new funding of £65 million which will be available to secondary schools until 2013 to increase opportunities in sport for pupils in primary, secondary and special schools.

Secondary Educations: Yorkshire East

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) local authority maintained secondary schools and  (b) secondary schools in East Yorkshire constituency are in special measures.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 7 December 2010
	 As at 9 December 2010, one local authority maintained secondary school in the East Yorkshire constituency is in special measures. There are no other secondary schools in the East Yorkshire constituency in this category.

Special Educational Needs

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the  (a) provision of special support services for deaf children and  (b) the number of teachers with a mandatory qualification in teaching deaf children required to provide such services; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: The Department does not require local authorities to provide specific information on deaf children. However, the Special Educational Needs (Provision of Information by local Education Authorities) Regulations 2001 and the School Information Regulations 2008 require local authorities to publish their arrangements and policies on the provision available for children with special educational needs, which will include deaf children.
	We do not routinely collect data regarding the number of teachers of the hearing impaired by region. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that teachers of the hearing impaired possess the appropriate mandatory qualification to undertake the role. It is a matter for local authorities to ensure that they have enough qualified teachers to meet their statutory commitments.
	The school work force census should from November 2011 collect data on what additional qualifications teachers have and this will allow us, for the first time, to ascertain the numbers of teachers who possess the mandatory qualification for teaching children with sensory impairments.

Special Educational Needs

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to encourage local authority special support services for deaf children to collaborate with other local authority services for the purpose of providing comprehensive support to deaf children.

Sarah Teather: A wide range of issues are under consideration as part of the forthcoming Green Paper on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This includes how local authorities can best make use of specialist resources to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, including those with hearing impairments, in their area.

Voluntary Organisations: Finance

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department has allocated to voluntary sector organisations for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and how much such funding he plans to provide in 2011-12.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 25 October 2010
	 The voluntary sector receives money from DFE through a number of routes including: direct funding, funding through arm's length bodies, through the money we give to local authorities and from services commissioned by schools. We have recently published information about all DFE payments above £25,000 made between 12 May and 30 September 2010, including payments to voluntary sector organisations. This information can be found at
	www.data.gov.uk
	or on the DFE website.
	Ministers will continue to publish details of departmental expenditure on a monthly basis as part of the Government's commitment to transparency.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to provide a substantive answer to question 29329 on Classwatch, tabled on 2 December 2010 for named day answer on 7 December 2010.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 15 December 2010
	 A response to PQ29329 was issued on 14 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 734-35W.

Young People: Drugs

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether a decision has been made on the funding allocation from his Department to the FRANK drugs campaign in respect of each year of the spending review period.

Sarah Teather: holding answer 20 December 2010
	 Government are committed to continuing the FRANK service, which has established good levels of awareness and trust amongst young people. While final allocations of funding are yet to be decided this commitment is set out publicly in the new Government Drug Strategy published on 8 December.
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drug-strategy-2010

TRANSPORT

Departmental NDPBs

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on employing staff on fixed-term contracts in each month since April 2010;
	(2)  what expenditure each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department has incurred on staff on fixed-term contracts in each month since April 2010.

Norman Baker: holding answer 16 December 2010
	The cost of staff employed on fixed-term contracts for each non-departmental public body sponsored by this Department in each month since April 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			  Cost of staff employed on fixed-term contracts-2010 
			  £ 
			   RFA  BTPA  DOR Ltd  Northern Lighthouse Board  Passenger Focus  Trinity Lighthouse 
			 April 14,415 17,000 18.700 2,371.04 46,943 18,551.61 
			 May 14,415 17,000 16.000 3,147.20 48,503 25,207.97 
			 June 14,415 17,000 18.000 3,147.20 41,787 28,531.74 
			 July 14,415 17,000 13.200 3,147.20 23,006 30,088.47 
			 August 14,415 17,000 21.300 3,006.73 24,541 35,631.94 
			 September 14,415 17,000 17.400 2,393.19 26,105 37,566.84 
			 October 14,415 17,000 11.200 0 22,187 40,259.58 
			 November 14,415 17,000 15.300 0 25,322 38,804.60 
		
	
	There were no costs incurred by DPTAC and TCs/DTCs.
	DFT non-departmental public bodies are:
	RFA: Renewable Fuels Agency
	BTPA: British Transport Police Authority
	Cycling England
	DPTAC: Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee
	DOR Ltd: Directly Operated Railways Ltd
	NLBL Northern Lighthouse Board
	Passenger Focus
	TCs and DTCs: Traffic Commissioners and Deputy Traffic Commissioners
	TLS: Trinity Lighthouse Service
	Cycling England does not exist as its own legal entity-it is essentially part of Department for Transport. It ceases to exist after March 2011.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what savings he expects to accrue from reductions in expenditure in each agency sponsored by his Department in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 27 October 2010
	The Department for Transport sponsors four executive agencies and three trading funds. The four executive agencies are: Highways Agency (HA), Maritime and Coastguards Agency (MCA), Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA). The three trading funds are: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Driving Standards Agency, and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.
	The savings to accrue from the HA and MCA have not been individually finalised during the spending review. They will be determined through the production of a financial plan for each agency during the remainder of 2010-11.
	The reductions in expenditure from each area of the Department's budget over the spending review period, are set out in the spending review press notice at:
	http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/Content/Detail.aspx?Clientld=202&NewsAreald=2&ReleaselD =416118&Subiectld=36
	The press notice gives details of the savings measures that are being made within the HA and MCA, and Annex G sets out budgets for the spending review period for the Department's major programme areas, including the 2010-11 baseline and spending review budgets for HA National Roads.
	For VCA, GCDA and the trading funds, their spend is offset by income from fees. Any savings are reflected in lower fees to customers and do not accrue to the Department.

Driving: Eyesight

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on changes to the requirements for sight tests for drivers.

Michael Penning: I met representatives of the Eye Health Alliance at the end of November and confirmed our willingness to work with them to increase awareness among drivers of the importance of good eyesight for driving.
	The Department for Transport recently reviewed the arrangements for ensuring driving licences are issued only to those who meet the appropriate vision standards. This review was undertaken in conjunction with the experts of the Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Panel on Visual Disorders and Driving and concluded that the number plate test remains an effective, straightforward means of testing a driver's vision.

Electric Vehicles

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable he has set for the design of a national recharging network for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Norman Baker: As part of the Department for Transport's structural reform plan, we plan to publish a strategy for promoting the installation of electric vehicle infrastructure by the end of June 2011. This will include details of subsequent actions that we plan to take regarding a national recharging network for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Film: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on  (a) the production of films and  (b) filming speeches for use at events since May 2010.

Norman Baker: holding answer 15 December 2010
	 Since May 2010 the Department for Transport has spent £6,794.34 on the production of films and £3,636.70 on filming speeches for use at events. These costs are external and do not include internal staff costs.
	These costs should be considered alongside the considerable savings made through not travelling to these events, many of which would have required overnight accommodation for Ministers and officials.
	The practice of filming speeches is also a demonstration of the Government's commitment to alternatives to travel, which reduces carbon emissions and makes more efficient use of the time of Ministers and officials.

Motorways: Closures

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which sections of motorways in England were closed more than once in either direction between 15 November and 21 December 2010.

Michael Penning: holding answer 10 January 2011
	 There were 23 motorways in England that had more than one planned or unplanned main carriageway closures or blockages between 15 November and 21 December, these were M1, M11, M18, M20, M23, M25, M26, M27, M271, M3, M4, M40, M42, M5, M50, M53, M54, M6, M60, M602, M61, M62 and M621.
	33% of the closures were due to planned roadworks and 67% were due to unplanned factors such as incidents on the network or other factors such as bad weather, emergency roadworks, obstructions, spillages or animals on the network. Details regarding the duration of each of the closures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Motorways: M1

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the M1 motorway was closed in both directions between 15 November and 21 December 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: holding answer 10 January 2011
	The main carriageway of the M1 was closed in both directions once between 15 November and 21 December 2010, at 08:13 until 11:54 on 27 November between Junctions 33 and 34 due to an incident.

Network Rail: Passengers

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with  (a) Network Rail and  (b) train operating companies the provision of warm waiting areas for passengers; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The provision of warm waiting areas for passengers is a matter for Network Rail at its managed stations and for the train operators at the stations they control. The Department for Transport does not specify any requirements in this area.

Railways: Construction

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on High Speed 2 since the project's inception.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 16 December 2010
	I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 20 December 2010,  Official Report, column 1003W.

Railways: Snow and Ice

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanisms are in place to ensure effective collaboration between train operating companies and Network Rail when severe weather disrupts the rail network; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Train operators and Network Rail work together to plan for disruptive events, including bad weather. This includes pre-agreeing which key services to prioritise and setting emergency timetables to be deployed if required.
	When such events occur, different elements of the rail industry need to keep in close touch, both at operating level and managerially. In some locations, train operators and Network Rail are located together which allows for immediate face-to-face dialogue and decision taking.
	In addition, major incidents are normally reviewed after the event to ensure that any lessons learned from the disruption can be acted on.
	As announced in his statement of 22 October 2010, the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), commissioned David Quarmby CBE to conduct an audit of how ready our transport services were for winter conditions. The findings of this audit were published on 21 December 2010, and emphasised the more severe effect of the weather this winter compared with the previous two winters. The rail industry is being asked to formulate proposals on contingency timetables, improve information to passengers, and examine technological improvements. Network Rail and operators will be asked to focus on their post-winter review of operational performance, as recommended in the audit.
	The Secretary of State has also asked the Government's chief scientific advisor to update what our planning assumption should be for future severe winter weather.

Railways: Snow and Ice

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with  (a) the managing director of Southern Railways and  (b) the chief executive of Network Rail on the treatment of passengers who spent the night on a train between Brighton and London on 1 to 2 December 2010; what assessment he has made of the steps taken by (i) Southern Railways and (ii) Network Rail to avoid such an occurrence; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Department for Transport officials have had regular contact with Network Rail and Southern Railway during the adverse weather. This dialogue has included how trains became stranded and what lessons are being learned. I have also discussed issues around stranded trains with senior representatives of the train operators and Network Rail, including the managing director of Southern Railways.
	As announced in his statement of 22 October 2010,  Official  Report, columns 79-81WS, the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), commissioned David Quarmby CBE to conduct an audit of how ready our transport services were for winter conditions. The findings of this audit were published on 21 December, and emphasised the more severe effect of the weather this winter compared with the previous two winters. The rail industry is being asked to formulate proposals on contingency timetables, improve information to passengers, and examine technological improvements. Network Rail and operators will be asked to focus on their post-winter review of operational performance, as recommended in the audit.
	The Secretary of State has also asked the Government's chief scientific adviser to update what our planning assumption should be for future severe winter weather.

Railways: Suicide

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the joint campaign by Network Rail and the Samaritans to prevent suicides on the rail network.

Theresa Villiers: The aim of the joint campaign, which began this year and which I am happy to support, is to reduce the number of suicides on the railway by 20% by 2015. The programme is being fully evaluated by RSSB, an independent cross-industry body which is supported by Department for Transport funding.

Railways: Travel Information

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Network Rail real-time operation of the Train Service Information Database; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State has had no discussions with Network Rail regarding real time operation of the Train Service Information Database. It is for the Office of Rail Regulation to regulate Network Rail, and its compliance with its licence conditions.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many rail carriages he expects to be delivered in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13 and  (d) 2014-15;
	(2)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 25 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 52-56WS, on rail investment, how many of the 650 additional rail carriages will  (a) be delivered and  (b) be operational in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 2 December 2010
	The Government are committed to delivering around 650 additional carriages by March 2014. Of this figure a total of 441 have already been contracted and their delivery into services is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Additional contracted vehicles 
			   Contracted and expected to be accepted into service 
			 2010-11(1) 211 
			 2011-12 146 
			 2012-13 - 
			 2013-14 84 
			 Total 441 
			 (1) May 2010 to April 2011. 
		
	
	The Department for Transport is now in commercial negotiations with train operators for the remaining additional carriages and it is expected that these will enter service by the end of the control period in March 2014.

Taxis: Guide Dogs

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many taxi drivers are registered as exempt from an obligation to carry a guide dog in their vehicle on request.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport's most recent survey of taxi licensing authorities shows that, as at the end of March 2009, 87(1)( )taxi drivers and 42(1) private hire vehicle drivers were exempt from the obligation to carry guide dogs in their vehicles.
	(1) It should be noted that (i) 45 of the 343 licensing authorities did not respond; and (ii) there might be some double-counting as some drivers hold a dual taxi and PHV driver licence.

Taxis: Guide Dogs

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many instances his Department has recorded of incidents where guide dog owners and their dogs were refused access to taxis in the last five years.

Norman Baker: Although from time to time we receive correspondence highlighting specific experiences, the Department for Transport does not keep a record of instances where guide dog owners and their dogs were refused access to taxis.

Thameslink

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the extension by two years of the planned timetable for completion of the Thameslink scheme.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 16 December 2010
	We are currently forecasting that a 2018 completion of the Thameslink programme will be within the original project budget (based at a 2005-06 price base).
	An earlier completion would not be deliverable within the original project budget.

JUSTICE

Approved Premises

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) capacity of and  (b) occupancy rate at each bail hostel in England and Wales was on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: For the purposes of this reply, it is assumed that the question refers to Approved Premises (formerly known as probation or bail hostels).
	Occupancy of Approved Premises is calculated as the proportion of available bed-days over a calendar month when beds are occupied. Where beds are temporarily unavailable, due, for example, to repair work, these are counted as occupied. Therefore, occupancy can exceed 100% where an Approved Premises takes in extra residents over its normal capacity and temporary additional beds are provided. This happens only as a short-term measure, to meet operational demands and subject to risk assessment.
	The most recent month for which figures are available is November 2010. The following table gives the capacity and occupancy rate of each of the 101 Approved Premises in England and Wales for that month.
	Approved Premises provide for enhanced supervision, particularly of high risk of harm offenders on release from custody. It would be much more difficult to provide that level of supervision, were such offenders to be dispersed into less suitable accommodation in the community on release from custody.
	
		
			  Approved Premises  Town/city  Capacity  Occupancy (percentage) 
			 Ashley House Bristol 22 74.24 
			 Bridge House Bristol 14 99.8 
			 Brigstocke Road Bristol 28 100 
			 Glogan House Bridgwater 16 97.1 
			 Bedford Bedford 22 100 
			 Napier Road Luton 20 94.2 
			 Peterborough Peterborough 29 93 
			 Bunbury House Ellesmere Port 22 77 
			 Linden Bank Sandbach 22 90.3 
			 Bowling Green Carlisle 24 86.3 
			 Burdett Lodge Derby 27 98.9 
			 Lawson House Plymouth 19 97.5 
			 Meneghy House Camborne 18 75.9 
			 The Pines Bournemouth 15 94.4 
			 Weston Weymouth 25 76.7 
			 Felmores Basildon 26 94.6 
			 Ryecroft Gloucester 18 100 
			 Hestia Battersea London (Battersea) 10 96.7 
			 Hestia Streatham London (Streatham) 25 100 
			 Katherine Price Hughes House London (Highbury) 19 94 
			 Kelley House London (Camden) 22 (1)0 
			 Beckenham Road London (Beckenham) 20 99.5 
			 Camden House London (Camden) 26 96.8 
			 Canadian Avenue London (Lewisham) 24 99.6 
			 Ealing London (Ealing) 18 97.2 
			 Ellison House London (Lewisham) 29 99.7 
			 Kew London(Kew) 22 100 
			 Seafield Lodge London (Kilburn) 20 98.3 
			 Tulse Hill London (Tulse Hill) 29 98.9 
			 Westbourne House London (Forest Gate) 41 97.8 
			 Ascot House Stockport 25 94.1 
			 Bradshaw House Bury 26 94.1 
			 Chorlton Manchester 27 96.9 
			 Hopwood House Heywood 14 77.6 
			 St Joseph's Manchester 29 93.6 
			 Wilton Place Oldham 27 101 
			 Withington Road Manchester 30 100.5 
			 Dickson House Fareham 19 85.1 
			 Landguard Road Southampton 22 95.5 
			 The Grange Purbrook 22 86.2 
			 Queen's Road Hull 19 100 
			 Victoria House Scunthorpe 19 99.5 
			 Fleming House Maidstone 25 96.7 
			 Haworth House Blackburn 26 93.5 
			 Highfield House Accrington 22 81.5 
			 Howard House Leicester 13 98.7 
			 Kirk Lodge Leicester 32 93.4 
			 Wordsworth House Lincoln 18 83.1 
			 Adelaide House Liverpool 20 99.8 
			 Canning House Liverpool 16 99 
			 Merseybank Liverpool 24 90.6 
			 Southwood Liverpool 29 99.1 
			 John Boag House Norwich 25 94.5 
			 Bridgewood Northampton 23 99.3 
			 Ozanam House Newcastle upon Tyne 25 85.5 
			 St Christopher's House Newcastle upon Tyne 20 95.7 
			 Cuthbert House Gateshead 24 79.2 
			 Pennywell House Sunderland 19 95.1 
			 Plas y Wern Wrexham 23 82.9 
			 Ty Newydd Bangor 23 83.9 
			 South View York 22 86.2 
			 Astral Grove Nottingham 14 99 
			 Southwell House Nottingham 18 102 
			 Trent House Nottingham 19 89.5 
			 Quay House Swansea 25 81.7 
			 Mandeville House Cardiff 26 93.3 
			 Norfolk Park Sheffield 32 96 
			 Rookwood Rotherham 25 90.4 
			 Town Moor Doncaster 19 98.8 
			 Staitheford House Stafford 13 104.1 
			 Wenger House Newcastle under Lyme 25 105.7 
			 Wharflane House Stoke on Trent 22 100.3 
			 Lightfoot House Ipswich 22 86.5 
			 The Cottage Ipswich 14 91.2 
			 St Catherine's Priory Guildford 13 94.4 
			 Brighton Brighton 18 90.4 
			 Nelson House Middlesbrough 22 100 
			 The Crescent Middlesbrough 20 96.8 
			 Elizabeth Fry House Reading 22 97.1 
			 Abingdon Road Oxford 18 99.8 
			 Clark's House Oxford 18 96.5 
			 Manor Lodge Windsor 24 95.1 
			 Milton Keynes Milton Keynes 16 81.9 
			 St Leonard's Reading 22 86.2 
			 McIntyre House Nuneaton 18 82.2 
			 Augustus House Leamington Spa 19 94.2 
			 Braley House Worcester 18 94.1 
			 Bilston Wolverhampton 15 97.8 
			 Carpenter House Birmingham (Edgbaston) 20 86.5 
			 Crowley House Birmingham (Selly Oak) 20 74.5 
			 Elliott House Birmingham (Moseley) 20 99.3 
			 Stonnall Road Walsall 12 92.8 
			 Sycamore Lodge Birmingham (Oldbury) 32 97.9 
			 Welford House Birmingham (Aston) 19 92.5 
			 Cardigan House Leeds 25 78.1 
			 Ripon House Leeds 25 62.3 
			 St John's Leeds 28 80.2 
			 Albion St Dewsbury 24 81.1 
			 Elm Bank Cleckheaton 22 100.3 
			 Holbeck House Leeds 24 84.4 
			 Westgate Wakefield 20 109.5 
			 (1) Kelley House is currently closed for refurbishment

Drugs: Convictions

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for drug-related offences resulted in prison sentences in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009 in (i) Sussex, (ii) Brighton and Hove and (iii) nationally.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts and sentenced to immediate custody for drug offences in the Sussex police force area, Sussex Central Local Justice Area (in which Brighton and Hove magistrates court is located) and England and Wales for the years 2007 to 2009 can be viewed in the table.
	Information for Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the Scottish Executive and Northern Ireland Office respectively.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts and sentenced to immediate custody for drug offences in Sussex police force area, Sussex central local justice area (in which Brighton and Hove magistrates court is located), and England and Wales for the years 2007 to 2009( 1,2) 
			  Found guilty/sentence/area  2007  2008( 3)  2009 
			  Sussex police force area
			 Found guilty 1,141 1,270 1,420 
			 Immediate custody 327 341 396 
			 
			  Sussex (central)
			 Found guilty 230 279 266 
			 Immediate custody 5 14 4 
			 
			  England and Wales
			 Found guilty 44,565 52,943 56,793 
			 Immediate custody 8,186 9,488 9,425 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Ford Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners formerly held in Category A, B or C prisons were held at HM Prison Ford on 31 December 2010.

Crispin Blunt: On 31 December 2010 Ford prison held 487 prisoners. All of these prisoners will have been formerly held in one or more of categories A, B or C prisons during their current sentence. To provide details on precise numbers by category would involve the examination of each individual prisoner's file, many of whom are no longer at HMP Ford, and would involve disproportionate cost.

Ford Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were being held at HM Prison Ford at the time of the disturbance in December 2010 and January 2011; and how many of these were prisoners with convictions for violent offences.

Crispin Blunt: On 31 December 2010 Ford prison held 487 prisoners. To establish whether these prisoners had convictions for violent offences would involve the examination of the files of each individual prisoner, many of whom are no longer at HMP Ford, and would involve disproportionate cost.

Ford Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison  (a) officers and  (b) wardens (i) were scheduled to be on duty and (ii) were on duty at HM Prison Ford on (A) 30 December 2010, (B) 31 December 2010 and (C) 1 January 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The information is set out in the table. For 30 and 31 December 2010 the first figure in each box indicates the total number of officers and senior officers actually on duty. The second figure is the number of Operational Support Grades actually on duty. In all cases the number of staff on duty was the same number as the staff scheduled to be on duty. The figures in all cases are at or above the risk assessed minimum staffing level.
	The figures for 1 January are planned staffing levels only. Once the disturbance at Ford took place a number of Ford staff were called in to the prison or arrived voluntarily. These figures are not available at present.
	
		
			  Date  7.30 am to 1 pm  1 pm to 5 pm  5 pm to 9 pm  9 pm to 7.30 am 
			 30 December 2010 20+7 21+7 8+3 2+5 
			 31 December 2010 17+8 24+7 9+2 2+4 
			 1 January 2011 (planned staff) 11+2 13+2 8+2 2+4

Guide Dogs: Taxis

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many taxi drivers have been prosecuted for offences related to refusing access to a taxi to a guide dog owner and the dog in the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under S37a of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, England and Wales, 2005-09 (latest available), is shown in the following table.
	Section 37 placed duties on the drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles respectively. The duties were (i) to carry a passenger's assistance dog and allow it to remain with the passenger; and (ii) not to make any additional charge for doing so.
	Court proceedings data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring 2011.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts for offences under section 37a of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995( 1) , England and Wales, 2005-09( 2, 3, 4) 
			  Proceeded against  Number 
			 2005 6 
			 2006 5 
			 2007 11 
			 2008(4) 8 
			 2009 - 
			 (1) Disability Discrimination Act 1995 S37a as added by Private Hire Vehicles (Carriage of Guide Dogs etc.) Act 2002 S.1 Failure or refusal to carry, or accept a booking for a private hire vehicle because booking was requested by disabled person, or person accompanying disabled person, with an assistance dog. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4 )Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Human Trafficking: Children

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made on providing guardians ad litem for child victims of human trafficking; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do not believe that the introduction of a system of guardianship would be helpful here. Responsibility for the care, protection and accommodation of child trafficking victims rests with local authorities under their duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. Separated and vulnerable children from abroad have the same entitlements as UK born or resident children.
	Where a child becomes looked after by a local authority, a social worker will be responsible for putting in place an individualised care plan covering the full range of the child's needs. This will include any needs identified following an assessment which concludes that they may have been trafficked. The social worker will also make an assessment of the type of placement which best matches the needs of the child including, if necessary, the need to safeguard them from contact with traffickers.
	The additional involvement of a guardian risks adding unhelpful complexity to existing arrangements; there is already a risk of confusion for children themselves if plans for their care are not effectively coordinated by the local authority.

Multi Agency Public Protection Panels

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were being monitored by multi agency public protection panels on the latest date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: A total of 3,851 people were being monitored at Level 2 and 3 under the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) on 31 March 2010, the latest date for which figures are available. Level 2 and 3 cases have been assessed as requiring active multi-agency management and resources. Level 1 MAPPA cases are those cases where standard management by a single agency is sufficient to manage the risk posed by qualifying offenders.
	This information is set out in table 1 of the Ministry of Justice Statistics bulletin "Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report 2009/10", published on 27 October 2010. I am placing a copy in the Library of the House.

Offenders: Females

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made on the effectiveness of funding projects for the Diverting Women from Custody programme in preventing criminal behaviour.

Crispin Blunt: Under the Diverting Women from Custody Programme, the Ministry of Justice is providing over £10 million in the period to March 2011 to established voluntary sector providers to develop women's community projects that tackle the complex and underlying causes of women's offending. The Ministry has been monitoring the extent to which projects have been effective in reducing women's offending; most notably we are undertaking analysis of the re-offending rates of a national sample of women participating in the projects. The Ministry will be using these analyses and evidence drawn from a range of other sources to inform our ongoing approach to diverting women from custody and associated decisions about future funding.

Offenders: Females

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had on the recent evaluation of the multi-agency one-stop-shop for women offenders co-ordinated by Brighter Futures Housing Association.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice is currently evaluating the success of Brighter Futures in reducing women's offending, alongside other similar projects for which the Ministry has allocated funding of over £10 million in the period up to March 2011. In doing so, we will use the specific evaluation undertaken by Keele university as well as wider evidence.

Open Prisons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what criteria are used to determine whether a prisoner is suitable for an open prison; and whether any change has been made to such criteria since May 2010;
	(2)  how many prisoners serving sentences in open prisons in England and Wales do not meet his Department's criteria for accommodation in such prisons.

Crispin Blunt: Prisoners are categorised and allocated to open prison (Category D) following an established risk assessment process set out in the National Security Framework as amended by Prison Service Instructions 16/2008 and 3/2009, which remain in force. Prisoners may be assessed as suitable for open conditions if they present a low risk of harm to the public, are considered to be trustworthy not to abscond from low security conditions and, for those serving a lengthy prison sentence, in general, within two years of their earliest release date. Prisoners who do not meet these criteria are not moved to open conditions, and those who are later considered to have increased those risks while in open conditions would be moved back to closed conditions.

Prisons: Alcoholic Drinks

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) confiscations of alcohol and  (b) other alcohol-related incidents have been recorded in prisons in England and Wales in the last six months.

Crispin Blunt: Finds of alcohol within prisons are treated as a miscellaneous incident and recorded on the Prison Service Incident Reporting System. These incidents are in a format that cannot readily be interrogated electronically. To provide the information requested would involve the manual inspection of more than 5,507 miscellaneous incident records for the last six months which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	NOMS has in place a strategy to reduce both the supply and the demand for alcohol with a comprehensive range of security measures and searching techniques to detect items of contraband, including alcohol, and prevent smuggling into establishments. It is a criminal offence to convey alcohol into prison and prisoners caught in possession of alcohol within prison face disciplinary action. Alcohol consumption is a cause of criminality in society and many prisons have programmes in place to assist prisoners to lessen their dependence on alcohol.

Prisons: Manpower

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers and wardens  (a) were scheduled to be on duty and (b) were on duty at each open prison in England on (i) 30 December 2010, (ii) 31 December 2010 and (iii) 1 January 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The number of senior officers (SO), prison officers and operational support grades (OSG) scheduled for duty (i) on 30 December 2010, (ii) on 31 December 2010 and (iii) on 1 December 2011 is summarised in tables 1 to 3.
	The number of senior officers (SO), prison officers and operational support grades (OSG) actually on duty (i) on 30 December 2010, (ii) on 31 December 2010 and (iii) on duty on 1 January 2011 is summarised in tables 4 to 6.
	Staffing levels at HMP Ford are addressed in the response to PQ 33048.
	In the tables, where the figures are not broken down by am, pm and evening duty shifts, the number indicates the average number of staff of that grade across the three shifts.
	
		
			  Table 1: Scheduled staffing on 30 December 2010 
			   Scheduled staffing daytime 30 December 2010 
			   SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Prison  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 1 6 3 10 
			 East Sutton Park (female) 1 1 1 5 5 4 4 4 1 10 10 6 
			 Hatfield/Moorland 3 3 1 16 14 6 9 7 2 28 24 9 
			 Hewell 2 6 4 12 
			 Hollesley Bay 2 16 5 23 
			 Kirkham 8 19 11 38 
			 Leyhill 2 2 1 15 17 10 4 5 2 21 24 13 
			 North Sea Camp 4 16 4 24 
			 Spring Hill 2 2 1 8 8 4 7 7 2 17 17 7 
			 Standford/Sheppey 5 5 2 13 14 8 6 5 2 24 23 12 
			 Sudbury 7 18 6 31 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 4 5 3 32 31 18 - 29 29 15 
			 Usk/Prescoed 1 1 1 6 6 4 4 4 1 11 11 6 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre 2 2 1 8 7 4 4 4 2 14 13 7 
			 Latchmere House 4 4 1 10 12 4 5 6 2 19 22 7 
			 Kirklevington Grange 3 18 8 29 
		
	
	
		
			   Scheduled staffing night 30 December 2010 
			  Prison  SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 0 1 2 3 
			 East Sutton Park (female) - 1 2 3 
			 Hatfield/Moorland - 2 5 7 
			 Hewell 0 1 3 4 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 2 5 7 
			 Kirkham 1 2 3 6 
			 Leyhill 1 3 4 8 
			 North Sea Camp 0 2 4 6 
			 Spring Hill - 2 2 4 
			 Standford/Sheppey 1 2 4 7 
			 Sudbury 1 2 4 7 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 1 1 7 9 
			 Usk/Prescoed - 1 3 4 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre - 2 2 4 
			 Latchmere House - 2 2 4 
			 Kirklevington Grange - 2 5 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Scheduled staffing on 31 December 2010 
			   Scheduled staffing daytime  31  December  2010 
			   SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Prison  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 1 6 3 10 
			 East Sutton Park (female) 1 1 1 3 5 3 2 1 1 6 7 5 
			 Hatfield/Moorland 3 3 1 16 15 6 8 6 1 27 24 8 
			 Hewell 2 6 4 12 
			 Hollesley Bay 3 16 5 24 
			 Kirkham 3 19 11 33 
			 Leyhill 2 2 1 13 11 9 4 4 3 19 7 13 
			 North Sea Camp 4 14 4 22 
			 Spring Hill 1 2 1 10 8 4 5 4 2 16 5 7 
			 Standford/Sheppey 5 5 2 13 4 8 6 5 2 24 23 12 
			 Sudbury 7 19 7 33 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 4 4 2 25 25 13 - 29 29 15 
			 Usk/Prescoed 2 2 1 5 7 4 4 4 1 11 13 6 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre 3 3 1 8 7 4 3 2 2 14 12 7 
			 Latchmere House 2 2 1 7 8 4 5 4 2 14 14 7 
			 Kirklevington Grange 3 18 7 28 
		
	
	
		
			   Schedule d staffing night  31  December  2010 
			  Prison  SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 0 1 2 3 
			 East Sutton Park (female) - 1 2 3 
			 Hatfield/Moorland - 2 5 7 
			 Hewell 0 1 3 4 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 2 5 7 
			 Kirkham 1 2 3 6 
			 Leyhill 1 3 4 8 
			 North Sea Camp 0 2 4 6 
			 Spring Hill - 2 2 4 
			 Standford/Sheppey 1 2 4 7 
			 Sudbury 1 2 4 7 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 1 1 7 9 
			 Usk/Prescoed - 1 3 4 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre - 2 2 4 
			 Latchmere House - 2 2 4 
			 Kirklevington Grange - 2 5 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Scheduled  staffing on 1 January 2011 
			   Scheduled staffing daytime 1 January 2011 
			   SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Prison  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange (F) 1 4 1 6 
			 East Sutton Park (F) 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 2 2 6 5 5 
			 Hatfield/Moorland 1 1 1 6 6 6 2 2 1 9 9 8 
			 Hewell 1 4 2 7 
			 Hollesley Bay 1 12 1 14 
			 Kirkham 1 9 6 16 
			 Leyhill 2 2 1 8 10 9 2 2 2 12 14 12 
			 North Sea Camp 1 7 1 9 
			 Spring Hill 1 1 1 5 9 4 1 1 1 7 11 6 
			 Standford/Sheppey 2 2 2 8 10 8 5 5 2 15 17 12 
			 Sudbury 3 12 5 20 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 2 2 2 17 20 15 - 19 22 17 
			 Usk/Prescoed 1 1 1 4 4 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre 1 1 1 4 4 4 2 2 2 7 7 7 
			 Latchmere House 1 1 1 4 4 4 2 2 1 7 7 6 
			 Kirklevington Grange 1 6 3 10 
		
	
	
		
			   Scheduled staffing night 1 January 2011 
			  Prison  SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange (F) 0 1 2 3 
			 East Sutton Park (F) - 1 2 3 
			 Hatfield/Moorland - 2 5 7 
			 Hewell 0 1 3 4 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 2 5 7 
			 Kirkham 1 2 3 6 
			 Leyhill 1 3 4 8 
			 North Sea Camp 0 2 4 6 
			 Spring Hill - 2 2 4 
			 Standford/Sheppey 1 2 4 7 
			 Sudbury 1 2 4 7 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 1 1 7 9 
			 Usk/Prescoed - 1 3 4 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre - 2 2 4 
			 Latchmere House - 2 2 4 
			 Kirklevington Grange - 2 5 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Actual staffing on 30 December 2010 
			   Actual staffing daytime 30 December 2010 
			   SO  Officer  OSG  T otal 
			  Prison  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 1 8 5 14 
			 East Sutton Park (female) 1 1 1 5 5 4 4 4 1 10 10 6 
			 Hatfield/Moorland 3 3 1 16 14 6 9 7 2 28 24 9 
			 Hewell 2 5 4 11 
			 Hollesley Bay 2 16 5 23 
			 Kirkham 8 19 11 38 
			 Leyhill 2 2 1 15 17 10 4 5 2 21 24 13 
			 North Sea Camp 4 16 4 24 
			 Spring Hill 2 2 1 8 8 4 7 7 2 17 17 7 
			 Standford/Sheppey 5 5 2 11 11 7 9 8 2 25 24 11 
			 Sudbury 7 18 6 31 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 5 5 3 32 31 18 - 29 29 15 
			 Usk/Prescoed 1 20 10 31 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre 2 2 1 8 7 4 4 4 2 14 13 7 
			 Latchmere House 4 4 1 10 12 4 5 6 2 19 22 7 
			 Kirklevington Grange 3 18 8 29 
		
	
	
		
			  Actual staffing night 30 December 2010 
			  Prison  SO  Officer  OSG  TOTAL 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 0 1 2 3 
			 East Sutton Park (Female) - 1 2 3 
			 Hatfield/Moorland - 2 5 7 
			 Hewell - 1 3 4 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 2 5 7 
			 Kirkham 1 2 3 6 
			 Leyhill 1 3 4 8 
			 North Sea Camp 0 2 4 6 
			 Spring Hill - 2 2 4 
			 Standford/Sheppey 1 2 4 7 
			 Sudbury 1 2 4 7 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 1 1 7 9 
			 Usk/Prescoed - 1 3 4 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre - 2 2 4 
			 Latchmere House - 2 2 4 
			 Kirklevington Grange - 2 5 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 5: Actual staffing on 31 December 2010 
			   Actual staffing daytime 31 December 2010 
			   SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Prison  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 1 4 2 7 
			 East Sutton Park (female) 1 1 1 3 5 3 2 1 1 6 7 5 
			 Hatfield/Moorland 2 3 1 16 15 6 8 6 1 26 24 8 
			 Hewell 2 4 4 10 
			 Hollesley Bay 3 16 5 24 
			 Kirkham 3 19 11 33 
			 Leyhill 2 2 1 13 11 9 4 4 3 19 17 13 
			 North Sea Camp 4 14 4 22 
			 Spring Hill 1 2 1 10 8 4 5 4 2 16 15 7 
			 Standford/Sheppey 4 6 2 13 11 7 5 5 2 22 22 11 
			 Sudbury 7 19 7 33 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 4 4 2 25 25 13 - 29 29 15 
			 Usk/Prescoed 6 14 9 29 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre 3 3 1 8 7 4 3 2 2 14 12 7 
			 Latchmere House 2 2 1 7 8 4 5 4 2 14 14 7 
			 Kirklevington Grange 3 18 7 28 
		
	
	
		
			   Actual staffing night 31 December 2010 
			  Prison  SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 0 1 2 3 
			 East Sutton Park (Female) - 1 2 3 
			 Hatfield/Moorland - 2 5 7 
			 Hewell - 1 3 4 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 3 6 9 
			 Kirkham 1 2 3 6 
			 Leyhill 1 3 4 8 
			 North Sea Camp 0 2 4 6 
			 Spring Hill - 2 2 4 
			 Standford/Sheppey 1 2 4 7 
			 Sudbury 1 2 4 7 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 1 1 7 9 
			 Usk/Prescoed - 1 3 4 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre - 2 2 4 
			 Latchmere House - 2 2 4 
			 Kirklevington Grange - 2 5 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 6: Actual staffing on 1 January 2011 
			   Actual staffing daytime 1 January 2011 
			   SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Prison  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED  AM  PM  ED 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 1 4 1 6 
			 East Sutton Park (Female) 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 2 2 6 5 5 
			 Hatfield/Moorland 1 1 1 6 7 6 2 2 1 9 19 8 
			 Hewell 1 4 2 7 
			 Hollesley Bay 1 12 1 14 
			 Kirkham 1 9 6 16 
			 Leyhill 2 2 1 8 10 9 2 2 2 12 14 12 
			 North Sea Camp 1 7 1 9 
			 Spring Hill 1 1 1 5 9 4 1 1 1 7 11 6 
			 Standford/Sheppey 2 2 2 10 12 9 3 4 3 15 18 14 
			 Sudbury 3 12 5 20 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 2 2 2 17 20 15 - 19 22 17 
			 Usk/Prescoed 1 14 3 18 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre 1 1 1 4 4 4 2 2 2 7 7 7 
			 Latchmere House 1 1 1 4 4 4 2 2 1 7 7 6 
			 Kirklevington Grange 1 6 3 10 
		
	
	
		
			   Actual staffing night 1 January 2001 
			  Prison  SO  Officer  OSG  Total 
			  Open 
			 Askham Grange 0 1 2 3 
			 East Sutton Park (Female) - 2 2 3 
			 Hatfield/Moorland - 2 5 7 
			 Hewell - 1 3 4 
			 Hollesley Bay 0 2 5 7 
			 Kirkham 1 2 3 6 
			 Leyhill 1 3 4 8 
			 North Sea Camp 0 2 4 6 
			 Spring Hill - 2 2 4 
			 Standford/Sheppey 1 2 4 7 
			 Sudbury 1 2 4 7 
			 Thorn Cross (YO) 1 1 7 9 
			 Usk/Prescoed - 1 3 4 
			  
			  Resettlement 
			 Blantyre - 2 2 4 
			 Latchmere House - 2 2 4 
			 Kirklevington Grange - 2 5 7

Reofffenders: Young Offenders

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young offenders in custody in England and Wales are repeat offenders.

Crispin Blunt: 1,473 of the 1,569 young offenders (ages 15-17) serving an immediate custodial sentence in prison establishments at 30 June 2009 had at least one previous caution or conviction. These figures are taken from table 7.31 in "Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2009" which was published on 22 July 2010.
	These criminal history figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Tribunals Service: Waiting Lists

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average waiting time was for benefit appeals at the Tribunal Service in  (a) Great Britain and  (b) Scotland in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010;
	(2)  what the  (a) shortest and  (b) longest time period was for which an appellant had to wait for a Tribunal Service hearing for a benefit appeal in Scotland in 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The average waiting time for benefit appeals in the Tribunals Service in  (a) Great Britain and  (b) Scotland in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009 and (iii) 2010 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Average clearance times (weeks) 
			  Year( 1)  National  Scotland 
			 2008 9.50 9.01 
			 2009 13.69 11.89 
			 2010 16.78 15.73 
			 (1) Information is presented for each calendar year from January to December. Information for 2010 is given for January to June 2010.  Notes: 1. The table provides average waiting times from the First-Tier Tribunal-Social Security and Child Support receiving the appeal to disposal of that appeal. 2. An appeal may be disposed of without being heard, or be heard on more than one day, for example a hearing may be adjourned for further evidence to be gathered. 3. Information is not provided for Northern Ireland. 
		
	
	The First-Tier Tribunal-Social Security and Child Support does not hold information on the single shortest and longest period an appellant waited for a benefit appeal hearing. The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost by manually checking each individual case file. However, during the period January to June 2010, there were 24,600 appeals disposed of in Scotland. Of these, 10% were disposed of within four weeks and 0.2% were aged 52 weeks or more, when disposed of. An appeal may be disposed of without being heard, or be heard on more than one day, for example a hearing may be adjourned for further evidence to be gathered.

Tribunals Service: Waiting Lists

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are in place to take into account the financial circumstances of those waiting for a Tribunal Service hearing for a benefit appeal; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Tribunals Service does not hold details on the financial circumstances of those appellants who are making an appeal. Nevertheless, where notified that an appellant is suffering from extreme hardship the Tribunals Service will, as a matter of urgency, take steps to arrange a hearing as soon as possible.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Cosmetics: Animal Experiments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that the 2013 target date for banning the sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals in the EU is met; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what information his Department has collected on the level of public support for a ban on the sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Under the European Cosmetics Directive there is already a ban on the sale of products tested or containing ingredients tested on animals for cosmetic purposes since March 2009, with the exception that tests for repeat toxicity, reproductive toxicity and toxicokinetics are not yet covered as no alternatives are in place. The marketing ban will be extended to cover those tests in March 2013. The Department has not surveyed public views on the subject of animal testing in relation to cosmetics, although it carries out an annual survey on public attitudes to animal testing generally.

Degrees

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many university students received third class honours degrees in  (a) 1980,  (b) 1990,  (c) 2000,  (d) 2005 and  (e) 2010.

David Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is shown in the following table. Figures covering qualifiers by classification prior to 1994/95 are not available, and figures for 2009/10 will be available mid-January 2011. More detailed information on degree classification can be found in the following publication by HESA:
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/1578/161/
	
		
			  First degree qualifiers by classification, UK higher education institutions 
			  Academic years 1994/95, 2000/01, 2005/06 and 2008/09 
			  Academic year  Third class honours/pass( 1) 
			 1994/95 24,005 
			 2000/01 21,150 
			 2005/06 22,845 
			 2008/09 23,800 
			 (1) Following publication conventions of HESA, third class, fourth class and pass categories have been aggregated.  Note: Figures are based on a qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Export Credit Guarantees: Human Rights

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what due diligence criteria the Export Credits Guarantee Department uses to ensure that no companies undertaking projects supported by the Department engage in activities which risk abusing  (a) human rights and  (b) the environment.

Edward Davey: It is ECGD's policy to comply with international agreements that apply to the operations of export credit agencies. ECGD considers the environmental impacts, including social and human rights impacts, of projects in accordance with the OECD Recommendation on Common Approaches on the Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits. This agreement requires projects to be benchmarked against relevant international standards, principally those of the World Bank Group, to determine the acceptability of any environmental, social and human rights impacts.

Free School Meals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students at each university in England were previously in receipt of free school meals in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The information requested is shown in the table. These figures relate to pupils who were in receipt of free school meals (FSM). It is known that not all pupils who are eligible for FSM claim them. Such pupils would be excluded from the figures shown. These figures have been estimated using matched data from the National Pupil Database and the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record. These rounded estimates allow for a small margin of error that arises as result of the matching procedure deployed.
	
		
			  Estimates of the number of FSM pupils aged 15 in English maintained schools who progress to HE by age 19, by English Higher Education Institution 
			  UK higher education institution  2007/08 
			 The Open University(1) 145 
			 Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln 10 
			 Buckinghamshire New University 70 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama - 
			 University of Chester 85 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 55 
			 York St John University 30 
			 University College Plymouth St Mark and St John 5 
			 Edge Hill University 120 
			 University College Falmouth 15 
			 Harper Adams University College 5 
			 The University of Winchester 30 
			 Liverpool Hope University 100 
			 University of the Arts, London 110 
			 University of Bedfordshire 135 
			 The University of Northampton 75 
			 Newman College of Higher Education 50 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 15 
			 Roehampton University 160 
			 Rose Bruford College - 
			 Royal Academy of Music - 
			 Royal College of Music 0 
			 Royal Northern College of Music - 
			 Southampton Solent University 90 
			 Cumbria Institute of the Arts 0 
			 St Mary's University College, Twickenham 40 
			 Leeds Trinity and All Saints 15 
			 Trinity Laban - 
			 The University of Worcester 30 
			 Anglia Ruskin University 95 
			 Bath Spa University 30 
			 The University of Bolton 60 
			 Bournemouth University 75 
			 The University of Brighton 95 
			 Birmingham City University 300 
			 The University of Central Lancashire 220 
			 University of Gloucestershire 30 
			 Coventry University 150 
			 University of Derby 95 
			 The University of East London 300 
			 The University of Greenwich 265 
			 University of Hertfordshire 310 
			 The University of Huddersfield 175 
			 The University of Lincoln 80 
			 Kingston University 405 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 190 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 300 
			 The Manchester Metropolitan University 425 
			 Middlesex University 335 
			 De Montfort University 250 
			 The University of Northumbria at Newcastle 130 
			 The Nottingham Trent University 160 
			 Oxford Brookes University 35 
			 The University of Plymouth 100 
			 The University of Portsmouth 100 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 190 
			 London South Bank University 215 
			 Staffordshire University 90 
			 The University of Sunderland 110 
			 The University of Teesside 175 
			 Thames Valley University 105 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 85 
			 The University of Chichester 25 
			 The University of Westminster 425 
			 The University of Wolverhampton 275 
			 Aston University 160 
			 The University of Bath 15 
			 The University of Birmingham 125 
			 The University of Bradford 260 
			 The University of Bristol 25 
			 Brunel University 255 
			 The University of Cambridge 20 
			 The City University 160 
			 University of Durham 35 
			 The University of East Anglia 50 
			 The University of Essex 65 
			 The University of Exeter 25 
			 The University of Hull 90 
			 The University of Keele 40 
			 The University of Kent 95 
			 The University of Lancaster 50 
			 The University of Leeds 100 
			 The University of Leicester 55 
			 The University of Liverpool 105 
			 Birkbeck College 20 
			 Goldsmiths College 105 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine 35 
			 Institute of Education 0 
			 King's College London 125 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 15 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 325 
			 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 40 
			 The Royal Veterinary College - 
			 St George's Hospital Medical School 25 
			 The School of Oriental and African Studies 35 
			 The School of Pharmacy 15 
			 University College London 60 
			 University of London (institutes and activities) 0 
			 Loughborough University 50 
			 The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 40 
			 The University of Nottingham 70 
			 The University of Oxford 20 
			 The University of Reading 40 
			 The University of Salford 200 
			 The University of Sheffield 75 
			 The University of Southampton 45 
			 The University of Surrey 45 
			 The University of Sussex 55 
			 The University of Warwick 30 
			 The University of York 25 
			 Writtle College 10 
			 Norwich School of Art and Design 0 
			 Royal Agricultural College 0 
			 The Arts Institute at Bournemouth 15 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 5 
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies 55 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 0 
			 London Metropolitan University 295 
			 The University of Buckingham 0 
			 The University of Manchester 155 
			 Heythrop College 5 
			 The University College for the Creative Arts 70 
			 Leeds College of Music - 
			 Guildhall School of Music and Drama - 
			 The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts 0 
			 University Campus Suffolk 15 
			 (1) The Open University is classified as an English institution due to the location of its administrative centre, although it teaches across the UK.  Note: The figures for FSM pupils are based on those recorded as such on Pupil Level Census. As this is a snapshot of pupils in one year, this will exclude pupils who claimed free school meals in previous years. Also some parents may choose not to apply for FSM. Children from these families who progress to HE institutions would not be included in the table.  Source: Matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record. All figures are estimates and have been rounded to the nearest five, figures less than five are shown as '-', zero counts are shown as '0'.

Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many people were interviewed for posts as advisers for the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the brief given to the individual responsible for interviewing candidates for posts on the advisory team of experts for the Hargreaves Review on Intellectual Property and Growth.

Edward Davey: No candidates were interviewed for posts as advisers to the independent Review of Intellectual Property and Growth. The members of the independent panel which will advise Professor Ian Hargreaves were selected in order to equip the review with a range of relevant expertise, including in business, innovation, economics and aspects of intellectual property.

Higher Education: Sunderland

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from Sunderland local authority area entered each higher education institution in each academic year between 1997-98 and 2008-09.

David Willetts: The latest available information on the number of entrants from Sunderland local authority to higher education courses at UK higher education institutions will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be available in January 2011. Comparable local authority level information for entrants to higher education courses at further education institutions is not available.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 8 November 2010 concerning Ms E Massey.

Edward Davey: I responded to this letter on 4 January 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to respond to the letter of 13 April 2010 from the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Livingston to the then Minister for Postal Affairs.

Edward Davey: I regret that we can find no record of a letter from the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Livingston to the then Minister for Postal Affairs, dated 13 April 2010.
	If the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Livingston would write again, or provide a copy of the original letter, I will respond as soon as possible.

Post Bank: Public Finance

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of creating a state-backed Post Bank.

Edward Davey: We have looked carefully at the different options for providing financial services through the post office network, including the case for creating a state-backed Post Office Bank.
	The cost of setting up a Post Office Bank would have three main components. First, the need for Government to capitalise Post Office Ltd. (POL) to allow it to obtain a banking license and lend off of its own balance sheet. Second, exiting existing contractual arrangements relating to the provision of financial services through the post office network. Third, operational costs associated with setting up and running a new financial services unit within POL. The level of public funding required would depend on the remit and performance of a Post Office Bank.
	We have concluded that the announced £1.34 billion of funding for POL over the spending review period will be better used maintaining and modernising the network to safeguard its future, ensuring that there will be no further programme of Post Office closures.

Refugees: Higher Education

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that refugee learners are included in his Department's proposals to widen participation in and ensure equal access to further and higher education;
	(2)  if he will put in place mechanisms to assist refugee students who meet a university's entry requirements but who are unable to pay tuition fees;
	(3)  if he will take steps to ensure that the equivalent and lower qualification policy for student support enables refugees who do not have evidence of their higher education certificates from overseas to fund their undergraduate study in England;
	(4)  if he will take steps to ensure that refugees accepted to a bachelor honours degree course as home students are not disadvantaged by the equivalent and lower qualification policy when applying for student support for tuition fee loans.

David Willetts: The Government supports widening participation and improving fair access in higher education. All those who have the ability should be able to benefit from higher education irrespective of family income. The Government will provide up-front financial support for any student who is eligible and who secures a place at university.
	In England, home fee status and student support are available to refugees and their family members as long as they have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands since being recognised as a refugee. There are no plans to change this. The previous Government introduced the equivalent and lower qualification policy and it applies equally to refugees. This Government recognises it has attracted a good deal of criticism.
	We are reviewing the whole higher education system and will be publishing a White Paper later this winter.

Royal Mail: Contracts

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had on Royal Mail's plans for the future of its contracts for services with small and medium-sized enterprises; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Royal Mail's contracts with small and medium-sized enterprises are an operational matter for the company.
	I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Scholarships

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much he plans to allocate to the National Scholarship Programme in each year to 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The National Scholarship Programme will be introduced in 2012. In the financial year 2012-13, the Government will make available £50 million. This will rise to £100 million in 2013-14 and £150 million in 2014-15.
	We want to draw on expertise from universities and others with a proven track record in widening access, as well as students themselves. So we are working with organisations such as the Office for Fair Access, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the National Union of Students, Universities UK, the Sutton Trust and others. They are helping to design the best model and to ensure a fair deal for less well off students. The group has been invited to look at options and suggest ideas of their own.
	For those universities charging above £6,000 per annum graduate contribution, participation in the National Scholarship Programme will be a requirement. These universities will be required to make a match funding contribution.

Student Loans Company

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the Student Loans Company.

David Willetts: The forthcoming Higher Education White Paper, due to be published early in 2011, will set out any proposals affecting the Student Loans Company.

Student Numbers

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many students were enrolled in universities in  (a) 1980,  (b) 1990,  (c) 2000,  (d) 2005 and  (e) 2010, and how many students enrolled in universities did not complete their courses in (i) 1980, (ii) 1990, (iii) 2000, (iv) 2005 and (v) 2010;
	(2)  how many final year university students failed to attain a pass degree in  (a) 1980,  (b) 1990,  (c) 2000,  (d) 2005 and  (e) 2010.

David Willetts: The latest available information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency's (HESA) 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education' on non-completion rates and numbers is shown in the table. Non-completion refers to the number or proportion of UK-domiciled full-time first degree starters who are projected to neither gain an award nor transfer to another UK higher education institution.
	Non-completion rates were first published for the 1996/97 academic year, therefore earlier years are not available. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in April 2011. More information on non-completion in higher education is available from HESA's Performance Indicators at the following link:
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/category/2/32/141/
	
		
			  Non-completion of UK domiciled full-time first degree starters(1): UK higher education institutions academic years 1996/97, 2000/01, 2005/06 and 2007/08 
			  Academic year  Total number of full-time first degree starters  Number projected to neither gain an award nor transfer  Percentage projected to neither gain an award nor transfer 
			 1996/97 267,825 42,315 15.8 
			 2000/01 286,150 42,925 15.0 
			 2005/06 338,920 47,790 14.1 
			 2007/08 340,445 44,260 13.0 
			 (1) Refers to UK-domiciled full-time first degree students of all ages starting a first degree who were projected to neither gain an award nor transfer to another UK higher education institution.  Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest five and percentages are rounded to one decimal place.  Source: HESA 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education'.

Student Numbers

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK students enrolled in universities in  (a) 1980,  (b) 1990,  (c) 2000,  (d) 2005 and  (e) 2010 were (i) educated in the state sector and (ii) recipients of free school meals when in full-time education.

David Willetts: Two sets of figures are given. These are not comparable as they use different data sources and underlying populations.
	Figures relating to students from state schools, are shown in Table 1, and use data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. These are published as part of HESA's "Performance Indicators in Higher Education" and cover the number and proportion of young (aged under 21) full-time first degree entrants who attended state schools or college. This data was first published for the 1997/98 academic year, so earlier figures are not available. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will be published by HESA in April 2011. More information on HESA's Performance Indicators can be found at the following link:
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/category/2/32/141/
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of young( 1)  full-time first degree entrants from state schools or colleges, UK higher education institutions 
			  Academic years 1997/98, 2000/01, 2005/06 and 2008/09 
			  Academic year  Number from state schools or colleges  Percentage from state schools or colleges 
			 1997/98 145,460 81.8 
			 2000/01 163,265 85.7 
			 2005/06 206,615 87.4 
			 2008/09 234,680 88.5 
			 (1) Covers entrants aged under 21.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest five and percentages are rounded to one decimal place.  Source: HESA "Performance Indicators in Higher Education" 
		
	
	Figures relating to students who were previously in receipt of free school meals (FSM) and attended English maintained schools are shown in Table 2. These have been estimated using matched data from the National Pupil Database (NPD) and the HESA Student Record and cover students from English maintained schools who were in receipt of FSM aged 15 and progressed to Higher Education by the age of 19. It is known that not all pupils who are eligible for FSM claim them. Such pupils would be excluded from the figures in Table 2. These rounded estimates allow for a small margin of error that arises as result of the matching procedure deployed.
	Currently only three years worth of NPD and HESA data have been matched, so figures prior to 2005/06 are not available.
	
		
			  Table 2: Estimates of the number of FSM pupils aged 15 in English maintained schools who progressed to HE( 1)  by age 19 
			  Academic year  FSM pupils in HE 
			 2005/06 10,760 
			 2006/07 11,405 
			 2007/08 12,550 
			 (1) Includes students who progressed to HE courses at Further Education Colleges.  Note: All figures are estimates and have been rounded to the nearest five. The figures for FSM pupils are based on those recorded as such on Pupil Level Census. As this is a snapshot of pupils in one year, this will exclude pupils who claimed free school meals in previous years. Also some parents may choose not to apply for FSM. Children from these families who progress to HE institutions would not be included in the table.  Source: Matched data from the National Pupil Database, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record and the Learning and Skills Council Individualised Learner Record.

Students: Finance

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the average amount of interest which will be paid on student loans taken out by students beginning their studies in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

David Willetts: Students beginning their studies in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 are all on the current repayment system which means their loans will not increase in real terms but will only go up in line with retail prices index (RPI). All students on the current repayment system make payments of 9% on their income above the threshold of £15,000. Any loan outstanding after 25 years is written off. Loans are also written off due to death or permanent disability.
	The actual rate of interest for loans is therefore dependent on the future rate of RPI. But not all students fully repay their loans and overall the Government provide a subsidy which is estimated to be 28% of the total loan outlay.

Students: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of graduates he estimates will not complete repayment of their student loan within 30 years following the implementation of his proposed reform of student finance; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Under the proposed reforms of the student finance system, we estimate that between 50% and 60% of full-time students with loans will have some of their loan written off. The reasons for the loan being written off will include death, permanent disability and having an outstanding balance after 30 years.

Students: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the resource accounting and budgeting charge in respect of the present system of students loans is for 2010-11; what estimate he has made of the likely charge under his proposals for the reform of student finance through  (a) the extension of part-time fee loans and  (b) the annual uprating of the earnings repayment threshold in each year of the Spending Review period; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) charge in respect of the present system of loans for 2010-11 is expected to be 28%.
	Taking the extension of part-time fee loans and the annual uprating of the earnings repayment threshold in conjunction with all the other changes being made to the student finance system, we estimate the RAB charge will be around 30% overall. However this will be dependent on the level of fees that higher education institutions end up charging.

Students: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the likely effect of his proposals for reform of student finance, including  (a) the extension of part-time fee loans and  (b) the annual uprating of the earnings repayment threshold, on the prospects of the future sale of the student loan book; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: A range of potential options for monetising the loan book is being looked at; this work will take into account all relevant factors, including the Government's response to Lord Browne's report.
	An update on the work undertaken will be set out in Budget 2011.

Students: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of funded student places under fee caps of  (a) £6,000,  (b) £7,500 and  (c) £9,000 in each year to 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: We expect overall entrant and student numbers to remain broadly constant over the spending review period, but actual student numbers will depend on the response of students and universities to the new higher education funding package.

Students: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of 19 to 24-year-olds in  (a) Bexley,  (b) London and  (c) England were in full-time education in each of the last three years.

John Hayes: The following table sets out the number and percentage of people aged 19 to 24-years-old in Bexley, London and England who are in full-time education, in each year between 2007 and 2009. Full-time education is taken to mean attending school, a sandwich course, or full-time at university or college.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of people aged 19 to 24 in full-time education, with associated 95% confidence intervals (percentage points) 
			   2007  2008  2009 
			 England 928,000 988,000 1,022,000 
			  23% 24% 25% 
			  +/-1pp (CI) +/- 1pp (CI) +/-1pp (CI) 
			 
			 London 189,000 204,000 215,000 
			  30% 32% 34% 
			  +/-2pp (CI) +/-2pp (CI) +/-2pp (CI) 
			 
			 Bexley 3,000 2,000 4,000 
			  19% 11% 18% 
			  +/-11pp (CI) +/-9pp (CI) +/-10pp (CI) 
		
	
	This information is from the Annual Population Survey, which covers the period January to December of each year, with 2009 being the most recent estimate available. The Annual Population Survey is the only available source of data with a sample large enough to provide local authority estimates of the number of young people up to the age of 24 who are in full-time education.
	It is important to note that estimates for some local authorities are subject to large sampling variability and should therefore be treated with caution and viewed in conjunction with their confidence intervals, which indicate how accurate an estimate is. For example, a confidence interval of +/- 11 percentage points (pp) means that the true value is between 11pp above the estimate and 11pp below the estimate.

Trade: India

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the inclusion of data exclusivity clauses in the proposed EU-India free trade area agreement; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such clauses on the production of generic medicines for use by developing and middle-income countries.

Edward Davey: The UK policy is to take a case-by-case approach to intellectual property rights within free trade agreements between the European Union and developing countries. The level of intellectual property protection should be tailored to the trading partner's level of development, with particular flexibility shown where provisions impact on public health. We would consider any proposals made regarding data exclusivity in the EU-India agreement in the light of the available evidence.
	On December 13 both Indian and EU trade negotiators stated that nothing in the EU-India agreement would limit India's scope for developing and exporting life-saving medicines.

CABINET OFFICE

Jobseeker's Allowance: Blaenau Gwent

Nick Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in how many households in Blaenau Gwent constituency has a jobseeker's allowance claimant been claiming for 12 months or more.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	  Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking in how many households in Blaenau Gwent constituency has a jobseeker's allowance claimant been claiming for 12 months or more. (33059)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles labour market statistics relating to households from the Annual Population Survey (APS) Household dataset. Unfortunately, this dataset does not support this type of analysis for small geographic areas.
	As an alternative, we are able to provide the total number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), in receipt of JSA for over 12 months from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	There were 825 people resident in Blaenau Gwent constituency in receipt of JSA for over 12 months in November 2010.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

TREASURY

Banks: Finance

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to increase representation from UK Financial Investments Ltd. on the boards of banks in receipt of public funding.

Mark Hoban: The Government's shareholdings in banks are managed on a commercial and arm's length basis by UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI). UKFI are required to do this in a way that is consistent with the Treasury's aim not to be a permanent investor in UK financial institutions-the Government are clear that British banks are best owned and managed commercially.
	UKFI believe that Government investee banks need strong boards, and work with the banks to achieve this. The appointments process to the boards of RBS and Lloyds are run by their nominations committee, and UKFI has worked with the banks' boards in line with their framework document remit to strengthen membership through the appointment of suitably qualified, independent non-executives.
	Under UK company law, directors cannot represent individual shareholders' interests. Accordingly, while these directors have been appointed with the agreement of UKFI, they are not and cannot be UKFI's representatives and will not report directly to them.

Members: Correspondence

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letters from the hon. Member for East Lothian of 12 October and 8 December 2010 in relation to national insurance contributions for stay-at-home parents who will no longer receive child benefit.

David Gauke: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Tax Avoidance

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue would accrue to the Exchequer over each of the next four financial years were  (a) companies prohibited from using derivatives to reduce their tax liabilities and  (b) investment companies prevented from changing the currency in which they prepare their accounts.

David Gauke: These measures in aggregate are estimated to increase receipts by around £50 million for each full year that they are effective. The final costings for the package of measures will be subject to scrutiny by the Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out at the Budget. These measures are intended to prevent the future use of a range of corporation tax avoidance schemes.

Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department last published a Welsh language scheme in accordance with the provisions of the Welsh Language Act 1993; and at which web addresses such schemes can be accessed in  (a) Welsh and  (b) English.

Justine Greening: HM Treasury, along with other Government Departments, is not considered a "public body" under the provisions of the Welsh Language Act (section 21), meaning that it is not required to prepare Welsh language schemes.
	The Treasury does produce translated texts on request.